Vever

Sotheby's Geneva, November 12th, 2014, lot 152.

Vever is associated with the most sumptuous creations of Art Nouveau. It was founded in 1821 by Pierre Vever and moved to Paris by Ernest Vever in 1871, when Alsace and Lorraine was annexed to Germany. Ernest established Vever at 19 rue de la Paix, one of the most prestigious street in the capital. Ernest Vever was much admired among his peers and became President of the Chambre syndicale de bijouterie, joaillerie, orfèvrerie.

Ernest retired in 1881 leaving the business to his sons Henri and Paul. Henri Vever had attended L’Ecole de Arts Décoratifs and Ecole Nationale de Beaux-Arts, he was seen as a daring jeweller who used unexpected materials like horn, ivory, enamels and hard stones to capture the beauty of nature in jewellery. Together they won their first Grand Prix at the 1889 World's Fair and they were regular exhibitors at shows in other cities, including Moscow, Chicago, and Brussels. Paul Vever passed away in 1915, and in 1921, Henri passed on the company to Paul’s sons, André and Pierre. Henri wrote La Bijouterie Française au XIXe Siécle (French Jewelry of the Nineteenth Century) a three-volume comprehensive book on French jewellery history. He died in 1942, leaving behind an impressive body of work. The company continued for another 40 years, finally closing its doors in 1982.