Jean Schlumberger (jewelry designer)
Encyclopedia
Jean Michel Schlumberger (June 24, 1907 – August 29, 1987) was a French
jewelry designer
especially well-known for his work at Tiffany & Co.
, France
to a well-to-do family involved in textile manufacturing. He sketched constantly during his youth, but his parents tried to discourage his artistic interest by refusing to allow him to undertake formal training. Schlumberger began his career creating buttons for Elsa Schiaparelli
in the 1930s. Schiaparelli later commissioned him to design costume jewelry for her firm.
During World War II
, Schlumberger was in the French Army
and survived Dunkirk. He also served under General Charles de Gaulle
in England and the Middle East with the Free French Forces
.
After the war, Schlumberger came to New York and began to design clothing for Chez Ninon. In 1946, he opened a jewelry salon with his business partner Nicolas Bongard (1908-2000).
, asked Schlumberger to begin designing for the firm. He had his own workshop at the company until his retirement in the late 1970s and was eventually made a Vice-President.
Schlumberger's designs at Tiffany & Co. were remarkable for their whimsical interpretations of natural forms. He was especially inspired by sea creatures and other animals. Diana Vreeland
wrote that Schlumberger "appreciates the miracle of jewels. For him, they are the ways and means to the realization of his dreams."
He quickly built an impressive client base that included the Duchess of Windsor, Babe Paley
, Greta Garbo
, Rachel Lambert Mellon
, C.Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness
, Françoise de la Renta, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
, Lyn Revson, Gloria Vanderbilt
, Elizabeth Taylor
and Audrey Hepburn
.
For his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy
purchased the famous Two Fruit clip in rubies and diamonds, which is in the permanent collection of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Jacqueline Kennedy wore so many of Schlumberger's bracelets that the press dubbed them "Jackie bracelets" .
Schlumberger remains one of only four jewelers that Tiffany & Co. has allowed to sign their work: the others are Paloma Picasso
, Elsa Peretti
and Frank Gehry
.
Schlumberger was a vey private person but liked too socialize among friends like Cristóbal Balenciaga
, Emilio Terry
, Diana Vreeland
and Hubert de Givenchy
.
Schlumberger died in Paris and is buried at Isola di San Michele
.
style.
in 1958. In 1977, the French Government made him a Chevalier of Ordre national du Mérite
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
jewelry designer
Jewelry designer
A jewellery designer or jewelry designer is a person who renders original jewellery creations and usually constructs them as well...
especially well-known for his work at Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is an American jewelry and silverware company. As part of its branding, the company is strongly associated with its Tiffany Blue , which is a registered trademark.- History :...
Early life
Schlumberger was born in then-German MulhouseMulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to a well-to-do family involved in textile manufacturing. He sketched constantly during his youth, but his parents tried to discourage his artistic interest by refusing to allow him to undertake formal training. Schlumberger began his career creating buttons for Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer. Along with Coco Chanel, her greatest rival, she is regarded as one of the most prominent figures in fashion between the two World Wars. Starting with knitwear, Schiaparelli's designs were heavily influenced by Surrealists like her collaborators...
in the 1930s. Schiaparelli later commissioned him to design costume jewelry for her firm.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Schlumberger was in the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
and survived Dunkirk. He also served under General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
in England and the Middle East with the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
.
After the war, Schlumberger came to New York and began to design clothing for Chez Ninon. In 1946, he opened a jewelry salon with his business partner Nicolas Bongard (1908-2000).
Career at Tiffany & Co.
In 1956, the president of Tiffany & Co., Walter HovingWalter Hoving
Walter Hoving was a Swedish-born American businessman and head of Tiffany & Company from 1955 to 1980.-Background:...
, asked Schlumberger to begin designing for the firm. He had his own workshop at the company until his retirement in the late 1970s and was eventually made a Vice-President.
Schlumberger's designs at Tiffany & Co. were remarkable for their whimsical interpretations of natural forms. He was especially inspired by sea creatures and other animals. Diana Vreeland
Diana Vreeland
Diana Vreeland was a noted columnist and editor in the field of fashion. She worked for the fashion magazines Harper's Bazaar and Vogue and the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Born as Diana Dalziel, Vreeland was the eldest daughter of American socialite mother Emily Key Hoffman...
wrote that Schlumberger "appreciates the miracle of jewels. For him, they are the ways and means to the realization of his dreams."
He quickly built an impressive client base that included the Duchess of Windsor, Babe Paley
Babe Paley
Barbara "Babe" Cushing Mortimer Paley was an American socialite and style icon. She was known by the popular nickname "Babe" for most of her life. She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958....
, Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
, Rachel Lambert Mellon
Rachel Lambert Mellon
Rachel "Bunny" Lowe Lambert Lloyd Mellon is an American horticulturalist, gardener, philanthropist, fine arts collector, member of the International Best Dressed List, and widow of philanthropist, art collector, thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and banking heir Paul Mellon.-Background:Known...
, C.Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness
Gloria Guinness
Gloria Guinness , born Gloria Rubio y Alatorre, was a Mexican-born socialite and fashion icon of the 20th century, and a contributing editor to Harper's Bazaar from 1963 until 1971...
, Françoise de la Renta, Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, née Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was a member of the British Royal Family; the wife of Prince George, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck....
, Lyn Revson, Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Laura Vanderbilt is an American artist, author, actress, heiress, and socialite most noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans...
, Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
and Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
.
For his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
purchased the famous Two Fruit clip in rubies and diamonds, which is in the permanent collection of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Jacqueline Kennedy wore so many of Schlumberger's bracelets that the press dubbed them "Jackie bracelets" .
Schlumberger remains one of only four jewelers that Tiffany & Co. has allowed to sign their work: the others are Paloma Picasso
Paloma Picasso
Anne Paloma Picasso known professionally as Paloma Picasso, is a French/Spanish fashion designer and businesswoman, best known for her jewelry designs and signature perfumes. She is the youngest daughter of famed 20th-century artist Pablo Picasso and painter and writer Françoise Gilot...
, Elsa Peretti
Elsa Peretti
-Biography:She was born in Florence, Italy, in 1940, the daughter of a well-to-do Roman family. Educated at Volbicela School in Rome, with a diploma in interior design. In early jobs she was a French teacher, a ski instructor and a model...
and Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
.
Schlumberger was a vey private person but liked too socialize among friends like Cristóbal Balenciaga
Cristóbal Balenciaga
Cristóbal Balenciaga Eizaguirre was a Spanish Basque fashion designer and the founder of the Balenciaga fashion house....
, Emilio Terry
Emilio Terry
Jose Emilio Terry y Dorticos , known as Emilio Terry was a Cuban artist, interior designer, artist and landscape artist, best known for his career in France...
, Diana Vreeland
Diana Vreeland
Diana Vreeland was a noted columnist and editor in the field of fashion. She worked for the fashion magazines Harper's Bazaar and Vogue and the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Born as Diana Dalziel, Vreeland was the eldest daughter of American socialite mother Emily Key Hoffman...
and Hubert de Givenchy
Hubert de Givenchy
Count Hubert James Marcel Taffin de Givenchy is a French aristocrat and fashion designer who founded The House of Givenchy in 1952. He is famous for having designed much of the personal and professional wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn, as well as clothing for clients such as Jacqueline Kennedy...
.
Schlumberger died in Paris and is buried at Isola di San Michele
Isola di San Michele
San Michele is an island in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy.Originally a prison island, Napoleon's occupying forces decreed that Venetians could not bury their deceased on any of the main Venetians islands, but only on San Michele...
.
Tiffany Yellow Diamond
One of the most famous pieces that Schlumberger created was the mounting for the famed Tiffany Diamond, which was in the firm's collection since the nineteenth century. The brooch, entitled "Bird on a Rock", incorporates the impressive 128.54 carats (25.7 g) yellow diamond in a fanciful setting typical of Schlumberger'sstyle.
Awards
He was the first jewelry designer to win the coveted Fashion Critics’ Coty AwardCoty Award
The Coty American Fashion Critics' Awards were first announced in January 1942 by the cosmetics and perfume company Coty, Inc. to promote and celebrate American fashion, and encourage design during the Second World War. The first awards were presented in January 1943, with Norman Norell winning...
in 1958. In 1977, the French Government made him a Chevalier of Ordre national du Mérite
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
.
Books
- Bizot, Chantal, de Gary, Marie-Noël, Possémé, Évelyne and preface by David-Weill, Hélène, The Jewels of Jean Schlumberger, Harry N. Abrams, 2001.
- Hue-Williams, Sarah, Christie's Guide to Jewellery, Assouline, 2001.
- Loring, John, Tiffany’s 20th Century: A Portrait of American Style, Harry N. Abrams, 1997.
- Loring, John, Tiffany in Fashion, Harry N. Abrams, 2003.
- Loring, John, Tiffany Flora & Fauna, Harry N. Abrams, 2003.
- Phillips, Clare, Bejewelled by Tiffany 1837-1987, Art Institute of Chicago, 2006.
- Mirabella, Grace, Tiffany & Co., Thames and Hudson, 1997.
- Taylor, Elizabeth, Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry, Simon & Schuster, 2002.
- Vreeland, Diana, Jean Schlumberger, Franco Maria Ricci, 1976.