The Call of Nature

Tiffany & Co reaches into its archives to revive the nature-inspired creations of Jean Schlumberger. Karishma Tulsidas takes a closer look at the resulting Masterpieces collection

- Karishma Tulsidas

TO SIMPLY CALL JEAN SCHLUMBERGER a jewellery designer is ignorance, an abomination even. He crafted jewels that were inspired by nature, which he interpreted as wonderfully playful artworks that used yellow gold as their canvas, and multihued gemstones and enamel as their colour palette. He was, by all intents and purposes, an artist.

And like many compelling artists, his legacy has lived on even 30 years after his death. His designs are still sold at Tiffany & Co, and if we didn’t know better, we would think that the Sixteen Stone rings and the Egg charms were created in the 21st century. Late last year, the American jeweller also released a high jewellery collection based on Schlumberger’s archival pieces. The Masterpieces collection is a menagerie of flora and fauna, imbued with that signature touch of whimsy that Schlumberger was famous for.

Oddly enough, when Tiffany & Co enlisted the French artist to design its jewels in 1956, his first collection was hewn primarily in platinum with diamonds. Then-Tiffany & Co chairman Walter Hoving requested that he employ his signature designs in gold, enamel and coloured gemstones, thus ushering a new era of decadence for the American jeweller.