DAVID WEBB: A PAIR OF ROCK CRYSTAL AND GOLD EARCLIPS Each o...
DAVID WEBB: A PAIR OF ROCK CRYSTAL AND GOLD EARCLIPS Each of bombé design, the fluted rock crystal panels within polished gold ribbed borders, mounted in 18K gold, signed ©Webb ®, collapsible post and clip fittings, length 3cm
David Webb's career began in 1948, when the young jeweller from Asheville, North Carolina, opened his first shop in New York. By the early 1960s, his work was appearing regularly on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and his boutique was described by the New York Times as "as busy as a supermarket on Saturday morning". His clients ranged from Old Money to Hollywood stars, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, Nan Kempner, Diane von Furstenberg, and the Duchess of Windsor.
Webb believed that jewellery should be as individual as the woman wearing it. Known for strong forms and an assured use of colour, he frequently turned to enamel to give his designs a crisp, graphic quality. In his hands, enamel was not simply decorative, but a means of creating pattern and contrast, lending even substantial gold jewels an unexpected visual lightness. His influences were remarkably broad, encompassing the art of ancient Greece and Rome, pre-Columbian and Mayan cultures, heraldic motifs and the geometry of Art Deco.
It was this exuberance that came to define Webb: enamelled zebras, coiled serpents, jewelled frogs and fantastical creatures set with vivid cabochon stones. His colour combinations had a confidence and intensity that distinguished his work within post-war American jewellery. Equally remarkable was the degree of craftsmanship retained within the workshop. Webb stated that every stone except diamonds was cut there and that all stone carving was carried out in-house, an unusual level of control at a time when such specialised work was frequently entrusted to established carving centres elsewhere.
Rock crystal perhaps best demonstrates this approach. Webb regarded it as "the one white alternative to diamonds", but rather than treating it merely as a substitute for a precious stone, he exploited its sculptural possibilities. It could be carved, fluted, scored, crosshatched or hollowed, its cool transparency providing a striking counterpoint to diamonds, coloured stones and richly worked gold.
Webb died in 1975 at the age of fifty, leaving an archive of more than 40,000 drawings, sketches, and production records, alongside a body of work that remains forthright, inventive, and distinctly American in spirit. Following his death, the house continued under his longstanding business partner Nina Silberstein and her family. Although its ownership has since changed, Webb's designs continue to be produced in New York, where the house maintains its own workshop and draws upon the extensive archive he left behind.
More Information
Rock crystal: no damage observed
Gold panels: normal signs of wear, two very minor and very small dents visible when tilting and paying great attention, very discreet
Signature: signed ©Webb ®
Collapsible post and clip fittings, for pierced and non pierced ears - non pierced ears: with good tension
Normal signs of wear, overall in good condition
Total gross weight approx. 48.6g
DAVID WEBB: A PAIR OF ROCK CRYSTAL AND GOLD EARCLIPS Each of bombé design, the fluted rock crystal panels within polished gold ribbed borders, mounted in 18K gold, signed ©Webb ®, collapsible post and clip fittings, length 3cm
David Webb's career began in 1948, when the young jeweller from Asheville, North Carolina, opened his first shop in New York. By the early 1960s, his work was appearing regularly on the covers of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and his boutique was described by the New York Times as "as busy as a supermarket on Saturday morning". His clients ranged from Old Money to Hollywood stars, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, Nan Kempner, Diane von Furstenberg, and the Duchess of Windsor.
Webb believed that jewellery should be as individual as the woman wearing it. Known for strong forms and an assured use of colour, he frequently turned to enamel to give his designs a crisp, graphic quality. In his hands, enamel was not simply decorative, but a means of creating pattern and contrast, lending even substantial gold jewels an unexpected visual lightness. His influences were remarkably broad, encompassing the art of ancient Greece and Rome, pre-Columbian and Mayan cultures, heraldic motifs and the geometry of Art Deco.
It was this exuberance that came to define Webb: enamelled zebras, coiled serpents, jewelled frogs and fantastical creatures set with vivid cabochon stones. His colour combinations had a confidence and intensity that distinguished his work within post-war American jewellery. Equally remarkable was the degree of craftsmanship retained within the workshop. Webb stated that every stone except diamonds was cut there and that all stone carving was carried out in-house, an unusual level of control at a time when such specialised work was frequently entrusted to established carving centres elsewhere.
Rock crystal perhaps best demonstrates this approach. Webb regarded it as "the one white alternative to diamonds", but rather than treating it merely as a substitute for a precious stone, he exploited its sculptural possibilities. It could be carved, fluted, scored, crosshatched or hollowed, its cool transparency providing a striking counterpoint to diamonds, coloured stones and richly worked gold.
Webb died in 1975 at the age of fifty, leaving an archive of more than 40,000 drawings, sketches, and production records, alongside a body of work that remains forthright, inventive, and distinctly American in spirit. Following his death, the house continued under his longstanding business partner Nina Silberstein and her family. Although its ownership has since changed, Webb's designs continue to be produced in New York, where the house maintains its own workshop and draws upon the extensive archive he left behind.
More Information
Rock crystal: no damage observed
Gold panels: normal signs of wear, two very minor and very small dents visible when tilting and paying great attention, very discreet
Signature: signed ©Webb ®
Collapsible post and clip fittings, for pierced and non pierced ears - non pierced ears: with good tension
Normal signs of wear, overall in good condition
Total gross weight approx. 48.6g
