Collecting 101

1.

“A Tremendous Feeling of Art”

David Webb was born in Asheville, North Carolina in 1925. He seemed to know from the beginning that he would have a creative career, claiming

He started out as an apprentice in his uncle’s shop and learned how to work with gold and precious stones. At the age of 17, he moved to New York where he got a job repairing jewellery in Greenwich Village. In 1948, at the age of 23, he opened his first shop on West 46th Street and quickly gained a reputation for his bold animal designs and natural charm. Soon he was being featured in Bergdorf Goodman ads and being carried by important jewellers such as The Top Drawer in Houston. His jewels also feature prominently in the 1959 movie Pillow Talk, starring Doris Day.

In 1975, Webb sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer and the firm passed to Nina and Arnold Silberstein who had worked with Webb since 1960. In 2010, the firm was purchased by estate jewellers Mark Emanuel, Robert Saidian and Sima Ghadamian and it continues to be a leading name in the jewellery business today.

2.

A Bestiary of Jewels

While there is huge variance in Webb’s designs, there is also an underlying consistency which makes them stand out and immediately identifiable. He is predominantly known for his animal designs, which represented a significant shift from the more traditional styles of the 20th century and proved extremely popular because, as Webb put it,

The first animal bracelet appeared in 1957, unleashing a near-obsession with whatever could fly, crawl, swim or run; from zebras and big cats to tree frogs and serpents, Webb created a whole bestiary of jewels through his Animal Kingdom collection.

Other important designs include the Origami necklace, the Cross River collection, the Manhattan Minimalism collection, the Madison earrings, the Ancient World Collections and the Maltese Cross brooch. He predominantly worked with yellow gold, enamel, coloured gemstones and diamonds, rock crystal but was also known to use jade and bold stones like Azurmalachite. The bold effect of his jewellery was achieved through bright contrasting colours in enamel, a technique which involves adding fine particles of glass to metal which is then heated until they soften and flow to become a smooth surface. As a result, these pieces can be fragile and should be worn and stored with care.

3.

Ancient Inspiration

Webb took much of his inspiration from ancient civilizations, visiting New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art on a weekly basis to study Ancient Greek and Pre-Columbian works of art as well as artefacts from Turkey, Egypt and Syria which he translated into his jewellery. He also collected antiquities and particularly Chinese works of art, which came to influence his style. Webb believed that the things he made had “museum quality” and hoped that they would “last as long as the originals that inspired them.”

At the same time, the influence of early 20th century American and European jewellery was strong, with Art Deco designs playing an important part in the development of Webb’s aesthetic. And while Webb’s designs clearly have roots in the past, he always managed to translate them into something strikingly contemporary, encapsulating the glamour and style of his own time.

4.

Who’s Who

Webb’s client list was like a who’s who of the rich and famous and included Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Duke, Brooke Astor, Diahann Carroll, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Diana Vreeland, Gloria Vanderbilt and Marisa Berenson, to name a few. In 1962, First Lady Jackie Kennedy, a longtime patron of Webb, asked him to design the official gifts of state for the Kennedy administration and in 1964, the Duke of Windsor purchased a Webb bracelet for his wife, Wallis Simpson, cementing his reputation as the jeweller of choice for royalty of all kinds.

His bold designs still resonate with women today and can be seen frequently on the red carpet and in fashion magazines. High profile clients of the brand today include Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner and Beyoncé, and the statement pieces remain highly collectable.

5.

David Webb at Auction

Now exhibited and collected by major museums, Webb’s timeless, and yet fashion forward, pieces are extremely in demand and tend to perform consistently well at auction. Often this is the only way to get your hands on iconic pieces – some dating as far back as 1948, others more recent – that can’t be bought brand new, and for those with a limited budget a pre-owned piece can be more accessible. At Bonhams, we frequently offer Webb rings and earrings at auction with estimates as low as £3,000–£4,000 depending on the piece’s rarity and condition.

For new collectors who are interested in Webb’s work, we recommend visiting one of his shops to familiarise yourself with his aesthetic and brand and of course attending one of our auction viewings where you can try the jewels on and get tailored advice from a specialist. If you want to find out more about this fascinating designer before investing, David Webb The Quintessential American Jeweler, by Ruth Peltason and published by Assouline, is a good place to start.