A 1939 sketch by René-Sim Lacaze for Van Cleef & Arpels is among the pieces included in “Masters of Design.” Photos courtesy Sotheby’s London.

Before this emerald Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet ever came to life, it stunned on the page.

BY KAREN AANONSEN

Techniques vary among jewelry’s brightest names. But most labels have one thing in common: their baubles start out as drawings. Now the conceptual beginnings to masterpieces from Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, and more are getting lauded in their own right. Sotheby’s London is currently displaying hundreds of previously unseen, signed jewelry drawings with its “Masters of Design” exhibition. Assembled by a private European collector, the artful assortment staggeringly spans from 1890 to 1960, and is being presented alongside glittering lots from the upcoming Sotheby’s Geneva “Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels” sale. Fashion expert William Banks-Blaney has also hand-picked vintage clothes to recreate aesthetic movements of the last two centuries, from the Belle Époque to 1950s glamour, for the showcase. The stunning compilation of drawings, jewels, and clothes is on view through March 8.
 

The above Art Deco Van Cleef & Arpels brooch design is one of over 3,000 drawings in the collection.

—February 2016