When Penny Proddow and I wrote, American Jewelry: Glamour and Tradition, Rizzol, 1987, we interviewed Stanley Silberstein about the founding of David Web Inc. Stanley Silberstein must have been in the myth-making mode when we spoke with him. He told us his mother Nina Silberstein was the co-founder of David Webb Inc. and that she was David Webb's sole business partner since 1945.
In 2009 when David Webb Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Information came to light that refuted what Mr. Silberstein told us . Read about it (Here)
Forced by these revelations Stanley Silberstein had to tell the truth, more or less as reported in Cathy Horyn's article, The Ring Cycle, In the New York Times , November 28, 2011. (Here)
“according to Stanley, his mother Nina had become Webb’s partner years earlier when she helped him buy out his original backer, a well-connected woman named Antoinette Quilleret, in 1963. “
In 2009 when David Webb Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Information came to light that refuted what Mr. Silberstein told us . Read about it (Here)
Forced by these revelations Stanley Silberstein had to tell the truth, more or less as reported in Cathy Horyn's article, The Ring Cycle, In the New York Times , November 28, 2011. (Here)
“according to Stanley, his mother Nina had become Webb’s partner years earlier when she helped him buy out his original backer, a well-connected woman named Antoinette Quilleret, in 1963. “
An extract of Mrs. Antoinette Quilleret's obituary in the New York in 1989 reads as follows:
Antoinette Quilleret, a a co-founder and former president of David Webb Inc., the jewelry concern, died of complications of cancer on Thursday at her home in Marbella, Spain. She was 85 years old.
Born in Paris, she came to the United States in 1937. She met Mr. Webb, and the two went into business together in New York City in 1945. Mrs. Quilleret retired in 1963 and returned to Europe...
New York Times obituaries -November, 22, 1989
Stanley Silberstein's incorrect version, which we received in good faith, was published in our book American Jewelry, subsequent books by Penny Proddow, and Marion Fasel, and countless auction catalogs.
--------------------------------------------------------
The story of interest to me is not that we were given false information about the founding of David Webb Inc., but the obscuring of David Webb's 18 year association with Antoinette Quilleret,
and the true story of the evolution of David Webb the designer.
The David Webb company was sold and reincorporated as
David Webb LLC in June 2010 – It is owned by Sima Ghadamian along with Mark Emanuel and Robert Sadian. They are re-launching the brand.Visit them (Here)
A book is in preparation. Ruth A. Peltason, the author has unlimited access to the archives, client records, and to the people who worked with David Webb creating his jewelry.
What follows is a rewriting of our original chapter with some new thoughts and Illustrations.
David Webb LLC in June 2010 – It is owned by Sima Ghadamian along with Mark Emanuel and Robert Sadian. They are re-launching the brand.Visit them (Here)
A book is in preparation. Ruth A. Peltason, the author has unlimited access to the archives, client records, and to the people who worked with David Webb creating his jewelry.
What follows is a rewriting of our original chapter with some new thoughts and Illustrations.
--------------------------------------------------------
David Webb ( 1925- 1975) was an enormously talented American jewelry designer who died far too young. He left his mark on the world with his imaginative and highly distinctive jewelry.
For Penny Proddow (1944-2009).
A truly original thinker.
Ernestine Carter summed it up perfectly in The Changing World of Fashion, 1977
"In the sixties David Webb found himself fashion's pet when he lunched his collection of jungle jewelry-in gold , enamel and brilliants. This amusing idea, beautifully executed by Webb was instantly copied by makers of costume Jewelry like Kenneth J. Lane and the Italian jewelers to whom enamel comes naturally and who were delighted to have a new theme. Mr. Webb kept his Jewelry in the middle price range, using semi precious stones like coral, and jade, he was sparing with diamonds, elaborate with enamel, simple in gold. The death of this charming South Carolinian in 1975 deprived America of an imaginative talent."
David Webb grew up in the jewelry business in Asheville, North Carolina. From an early age he was fascinated with gems stones, he helped in his uncle's Jewelry shop where he learned jewelry making and stone setting. He participated in a WPA metal craft program, and after high school studied at the Penland School of Crafts summer program. Then at the age of 16 he came to New York city to become a jewelry designer. (I can Imagine what it must of been like for this young man to travel to New York city on his own in 1941, because my own son is just 16.)
He found work in the Jewelry district on 47th street. In 1945 at the age of 20 he met Antoinette Quilleret (1904-1989), a sophisticated French woman who was wealthy enough to finance him, and connected enough to introduce him to clients. According to the New York Times obituary they went into business together in 1945.
Seaman Schepps and early brooches by David Webb
David Webb Sapphire and diamond set circa 1950's
David Webb's earliest work was derivative quite similar to Seaman Schepps. Mr. Schepp's daughter Patricia Vaill told Penny Proddow and I an amusing story. She told us that young David Webb was standing looking in her father's shop window and sketching, he was there for so long that her father went outside and asked him "young man would you like a chair?"
I have often wondered how the tall young man from South Carolina developed such a flair with so much savoir-faire. Since 2009 it has been my opinion that this was due to his "French connection," Mrs. Quilleret. She was 21 years his senior, and a stylish international woman. The furthest David Webb had traveled was from his home in the south to New York city. Which makes his transition all the more remarkable. To begin with he clearly seemed to have had basic jewelry making training, but limited exposure the world of international high end jewelry.
With Mrs. Quilleret's financial backing and her social connections David Webb made the leap and became a super-star designer. He was the darling of society, and his jewelry still rocks the fashionable world. I think it was likely that he would have met her wealthy well-traveled friends, and would have seen their jewelry. These women bought jewelry from everybody on both sides of the Atlantic. With a French business partner he would have had access to the French fashion press as well. He would have been aware of the work of the following jewelers, Rene Boivin, Suzanne Belperron, Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels in France. In New York after the War there were several European jewelry designers working notably the Sicilian Duke Fulco di Verdura , and the Frenchman Jean Schlumberger. Both Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels had stores in New York city.
Rene Boivin
(Left) Brooch, Rene Boivin, 1957 enamel, sapphire, emerald, ruby, and diamonds.
Image Rene Boivin by Francoise Cailles, Quartet books, 1994
(Right) David Webb, bracelet, enamel, gold, diamonds, platinum, and rubies.
Images form Bijoux Art Deco et Avent-Guarde(left) Boivin bracelet, rock crystal, silver and sapphires.
(right) Webb Bracelet, rock crystal, patinum, and diamonds Image Sotheby's April, 7,8 1997
The French firm of Rene Boivin worked with imaginative geometric and naturalist forms. Often incorporating semi-precious and precocious stones in dramatic and innovative ways.
1933, smoky quartz, diamonds, and platinum
Cartier
(left) Cartier panther bracelet 1958, and Cartier panther brooch 1958, both white gold, sapphires, diamonds with emerald eyes.,
Note: Cartier's first panther motif appears as early as 1914.
Note: Cartier's first panther motif appears as early as 1914.
(right) David Webb bracelet yellow gold, enamel . diamonds, platinum, and emeralds.
(left) Images above, Cartier by Hans Nadedelhoffer Chronicle Books, 2007
(right) Image
American Jewlery: Glamour and Tradition, by Penny Proddow and Debra Healy, Rizzol, 1987
American Jewlery: Glamour and Tradition, by Penny Proddow and Debra Healy, Rizzol, 1987
Jeanne Toussaint were a tremendous influence on David Webb throughout his career.
David Webb was also influenced by his contemporaries
Fulco di Verdura, and Jean Schlumberger .
Fulco di Verdura, and Jean Schlumberger .
(Right)Schlumerger brooch diamonds, ruby, platinum, yellow gold
(left) Fulco di Verdura Brooch 1940's aquamarine platinum and diamonds
Images American Jewlery: Glamour and Tradition, by Penny Proddow and Debra Healy, Rizzoli, 1987
Vogue September 15, 1955
Jewelry by David Webb
During the 1950's Webb wholesaled his Jewelry at Bergdorf Goodman and Bonwit Teller from their office at 6 East 57th Street, he also worked with private clients. Through adept marketing Webbs' jewelry appeared on Vogue covers in the 1950's . The partners appear to have the understood the power of fashion editorial coverage and advertising.
(left) David Webb compact, real tortoise shell, gold, diamonds, and emeralds
Images from Americna Jewelry: Glamour and Tradition, Rizzoli, 1987 and
Diamonds: A Century of Spectacular Jewels by Penny Proddow and Marion Fasel, Harry N. Abrams,1996
David Webb also made precious objects, like his contemporaries Fulco di Verdura and Jean Schlumberger. Some of these were precious sculptures, biblots, others were utilitarian objects like compacts and evening bags. Some of these were commissioned as gifts of State most notably by the White House. For example for President Fanfani of Italy he wrapped a piece of Arizona malachite in a gold rope.
David Webb was in business with Mrs. Quilleret for 18 years until she retired and moved back to Europe in 1963. These were definitive years.
Vogue January 15, 1962 jewels by David Webb
In 1963 David Webb's bookkeeper, Mrs. Nina Silberstein bought Mrs. Quillert's share of the business. Becoming David Webb's partner for the next 12 years until his death in 1975. David Webb Inc. opened a salon at 7 East 57th Street. Later under Silberstein management the salon moved to 445 Park Avenue where they continued to make jewelry in David Webb's name until the company was sold.
Image from The Windsor Style By Suzy Menkes
David Webb, Seaman Schepps, Vurdura, Margarita Stix, and other jewelers all worked with natural shells. The collection above belonged to the Duchess of Windsor. She brought her collection of Cuban tree snail shells to David Webb in 1964. The long shells in the center are from Haiti this pair was mounted by Darde in Paris. Darde who incidentally made some of Suzanne Belperron's Jewelry.
David Webb was known to have a large reference library of beautifully illustrated art books. He was also an avid museum goer, and a prolific designer, it is reported that there are 40,000-50,000 designs in the archives. These designs reflect his wide-ranging interests and influences. He looked to the ornaments of earlier civilizations, (mainly, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, Russia , India, ancient Mayan and Aztec) for his inspirations. Often working in yellow gold with bold combinations of semiprecious and precious stones.
David Webb might have gotten his inspiration for his frogs from Faberge pieces like these. He was a great admirer of the carved semi-precious stone animals of Faberge.
David Webb gold, enamel, ruby, and diamond frog brooches
Photograph by David Behl
Harper's Bazaar December 1963
Jeweled Amphibian brooch by Verdura
The personal jewelry of Jeanne Toussaint who was
the artistic director of Cartier. She was associated with Cartier form 1910-1965.
Her coral and diamond jewelry was photographed in her
Paris apartment in Vogue 1949.
Jeweled Amphibian brooch by Verdura
the artistic director of Cartier. She was associated with Cartier form 1910-1965.
Her coral and diamond jewelry was photographed in her
Paris apartment in Vogue 1949.
David Webb add December 1966 Harper's Bazaar
David Webb's advertisements were in dazzling full color while
the firms of Cartier, Harry Winston, and Tiffany and Co. were mostly still in black and white.
Image from Diamonds: A Century of Spectacular Jewels by Penny Proddow and Marion Fasel, Harry N. Abrams,1996
the caption reads as follows
"Diana Vreeland's zebras were among the first in Webb's animal kingdom, which won him the prestigious Coty American Fashion Critics Award in 1964. Black and white enamel and gold zebras form a ring and bracelet with diamond manes set in platinum and cabochon ruby eyes. The earrings upper left feature Zebra stripes and diamond accents."
I will add to this. The enamel is opaque enamel, the technique employed in the zebra jewels is called champleve enamel, which means raised field. The process requires filling a recess in the metal with moistened powdered enamel ( a bit like wet sand) drying it, then it is fired at about 1400 degrees for just under 2 minutes. This process is repeated multiple times until the metal and the enamel are at the same level. Then the entire surface is ground down sanded smooth and re-fired to fire-polish the enamel.
The metal is polished last. These were intricate labor-intensive pieces made in the European tradition. That's why they took America by storm.
David Webb advertisement Vogue June, 15 1964
Cartier bracelets in the traditional Mughal jewelry forms.
Image from Cartier by Hans Nadedelhoffer Chronicle Books, 2007
Image from Cartier by Hans Nadedelhoffer Chronicle Books, 2007
David Webb's animals where not merely the direct descendants of Mughal jewelry, although the forms of the bracelets were similar to those originally adapted by Cartier in the 1920's.
Carousel zebra, Birmingham ZOO. Birmingham, AL. via Flicker
Vogue September 15, 1964
Image, Christie's St. Moritz February 1997
working with Marisa Berenson.
Image from Diana Vreeland The Eye Has To Travel, by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Abrams, 2011.
David Webb white enamel and gold radiant brooch
Image American Jewlery: Glamour and Tradition, by Penny Proddow and Debra Healy, Rizzol, 1987
Image American Jewlery: Glamour and Tradition, by Penny Proddow and Debra Healy, Rizzol, 1987
David Webb's reintroduction of enameled jewelry was revolutionary. Colorful and exuberant these jewels were right instep with the swinging 60's. He called these jewels his “enamel jungle”
Panther brooch gold, enamel, diamonds, and emeralds
Image Tajan August 2011
Jeanne Toussaint Cartier Archives
The Popularity of David Webb's animals brought fame back to a towering jewelry innovator of the Past. Jeanne Toussaint who joined Cartier Paris In 1910. She retired in the 1960's. She was world renowned for her great cats, panthers, tigers, her serpents of the Nile, coral ladybugs, turtles, exotic birds, and her mythological double headed bracelets and chimeras. When pressed by his client, Diana Vreeland, who knew them both David Webb had to say "It's completely Toussaint's influence of course, she is the inspiration of us all."The bright and colorful precious daytime jewelry inspired Harper's Bazaar and Vogue to out do each other in Photographic tableaux. By the 1960's precious Jewelry was being worn with abandon. Hands with a ring on every finger and two on the index finger; arms adorned with multiple bracelets, and ropes of beads--the bulk and the vibrant colors created a very different look from that of the styles in which diamonds predominated.
Vogue called it 'Scheherazaderie” after the beautiful Oriental storyteller of
the Thousand and One Nights.
November 1965 Harper's Bazaar editorial brooch gold enamel diamonds and a ruby.
Image Tajan, Paris December 7, 2011
David Webb, Siren brooch, matte yellow gold, enamel, sapphires, and diamonds.
Davis Webb bracelet, earrings, and ring, ivory, gold, and turquoise.
Yellow gold, enamel, turquoise and a ring with diamonds.
Jessica Alba wears a contemporary David Webb necklace.
Davis Webb bracelet, earrings, and ring, ivory, gold, and turquoise.
Yellow gold, coral, enamel and diamonds on the brooch.
Image Sotheby's
( I regret I do not have a record of the dates of the sales for the above two images)
Jessica Alba wears a contemporary David Webb necklace.
Image from WWD
" The famed photographer,Terry Richardson, did double duty for the Carine Roitfeld-styled series of print ads for the fine jewelry brand when he shot the campaign, which also features a plastic, doll-sized version of himself front and center (holding a strategically placed camera)."
... co-owner Sima Ghadamian, who described the three ads as “sexy, young, abundant” and “full of saturated color.” The ads will run in Vogue, Town and Country, V and others." WWD
For additional information see the following:
American Jewlery: Glamour and Tradition, by Penny Proddow and Debra Healy, Rizzol, 1987
Hollywood jewels: Movies, Jewelry, Stars by Penny Proddow, Debra Healy, Marion Fasel, Harry N. Abrams, 1992 and 1996
Diamonds: A Century of Spectacular Jewels by Penny Proddow and Marion Fasel, Harry N. Abrams,1996
Bejeweled: Great Designers Celebrity Style, by Penny Proddow and Marion Fasel, Harry N. Abrams, 2001
The new owners are carrying on the legacy of David Webb, and history is repeating itself hopefully with the best of Webb, starting again at Bergdorf Goodman.
Jewelry Revival
Once upon a yesterday, David Webb was one of the most sought-after jewelry designers, sparking conversation with his floral motifs, animal imagery and modern geometry. His custom pieces glinted among the City’s social registry, reflecting the aesthetic of the ancient Greeks, Chinese and Egyptians while also making bold statements that quickly came to define Hollywood glamour and later reflect the spirit of the 1970s.Today we are thrilled to announce the return of the David Webb jewelry collection to the Main Floor of Bergdorf Goodman. For more details, call 212 872 8900.
