René Lalique | Enamel and Diamond Brooch 祖母綠配鑽石別針

This exquisite brooch in the form of a swallow represents the technical skill and artistic vision of René Lalique. Born in 1860, the son of a Parisian merchant, René Lalique studied design in school and at the age of sixteen apprenticed to the jeweler Louis Aucoc. He then spent two years studying at Sydenham College and once back in Paris worked as a freelance designer for various jewelry firms such as Vever, Boucheron, Aucoc, Destape and Cartier, among others. Upon assuming the workshop of Jules Destape in 1885, Lalique continued his experiments with techniques and various materials to produce fresh designs inspired by his intimate relationship with nature. In French Jewels of the 19^th Century, Vever records the following: “In 1887, he (Lalique) conceived a large gem-set parure depicting the flight of swallows, conveying perspective by the diminishing size of the birds.” The swallow brooch offered here demonstrates Lalique’s attention to detail and mastery of technique, with its subtle color gradations in the enamel and the naturalistic diagonal composition of the bird in flight.