annamarie sandecki

Recently sold at auction (auctioneer TAGGED) is this delicious 19th century French cameo mounted as a pendant. It is delicious for a number of reasons, exquisite carving for one, but what makes it a particularly tasty morsel for me is the box that accompanies it (swipe for image). Stamped with Tiffany 's very first shop address in Paris, 57 Rue de Châteaudun, it helps date the jewel to sometime between 1875 (when Tiffany Paris's managing partner Gideon Reed retires) and 1878 (when the shop relocates to 36 Bis Avenue de l'Opéra). Oh and did I mention that the clever auctioneer discovered that the box's bottom half revealed an additional fitting, allowing it to be worn as a brooch? Final bit of deliciousness - the cameo's reverse identifies the subject, "Printemps". . . . #cameojewelry #vintagetiffany #diamondpendant #antiquejewelry #agatejewelry

Absolutely NOT Tiffany, but certainly one of the more charming jewels I've posted lately - a pair of carved cameo earrings unsold at auction in 2010 (auctioneer tagged). Each grotesque face set into 14kt gold mounts. Until recently, I would have assumed the cameos were carved from lava. 19th century American women traveling to Italy made the purchase of lava (along with coral) jewelry, a top souvenir-getting priority. However, after leafing through @judy_rudoe 's excellent study of Victorian jewelry, I learned that so-called "lava jewelry" was a marketing ploy. Rudoe points out that actual lava has a rough, pitted texture while "lava" cameos are all smooth, carved from a soft limestone native to southern Italy. In any case, "lava jewels" are frequently mentioned in 1870s short stories. One, which appears in an 1870 April issue of Putnam's magazine about Ameican tourists visiting Pompeii, mentions "two spectacled Kentucky girls" engrossed with lava jewelry that they had just bought wearing it "in gay, glittering profusion ". Good to know that American teenager girls haven't changed much. . . . . . #lavajewelry #victorianjewelry #cameojewelry #vintageearrings #antiqueearrings

Looking for an instant collection of crowns and tiaras perfect as an impressive backdrop for your next video call? Look no further than this grouping of diminutive headgear scheduled for auction quite soon (auctioneer tagged). I am guessing originally made for Catholic statuary (i.e. Infant of Prague or Mary Queen of Heaven). Most made of brass or silver-plated brass, the smallest is made of silver. All are described by the auction house as "richly decorated". An interesting group of objects that make me wonder whether jewelers were involved in their crafting or if somewhere there exists a workshop that specializes in their design (and what is the inspiration?) and manufacture. . . . . . #tiara #crown #religiousstatue #religiousicons #frenchsilver

A rare silver and gold cuff bracelet by Tiffany scheduled for auction in the next few days (auctioneer tagged). Part of a series of mixed metal cuffs sold by Tiffany in 2000. When launched, the jewels sparked instant lust among American silver cognoscenti since they recognized the designs' clapback to Tiffany Chief Designer Edward C. Moore's innovative japanesque style. (And if you are in NYC this summer, do go to The Met to see @medill_harvey 's brilliant exhibition about Moore called "Collecting Inspiration.") I myself was lucky to snag one of the designs featuring cattails. This one, with a blooming magnolia, has a gold lady bug very delicately crawling up a flower petal. It is a lovely way to remember an early Summer afternoon. . . . . . #magnoliatree #ladybug #japonisme #vintagejewelry #silverjewelry

Here it is! The extremely elusive, nearly mythical cake box made by Tiffany for the wedding of President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom. Decorated with the couple's initials, the date (June 2nd, 1886), and a sprig of perhaps myrtle (commonly used in wedding bouquets to symbolize love, beauty and loyalty) the box still contains a piece of the original wedding fruitcake. Cleveland is the only President to have been married in the White House. The ceremony and wedding supper were intimate affairs, with each guest receiving a satin wedding cake box and a card with the happy couple's signatures. Sold at auction recently (auctioneer tagged) I am delighted to have finally seen one! . . . . #junebride #weddingcake #grovercleveland #presidentialhistory #whitehouse

From the massive image collection housed at the New York Public Library, a plate from "Le Bijou". Originally published in Paris in 1912 it is a delicious reminder of the joys that can be found by idly scrolling through NYPL's digital collections. . . . . . . . #tiara #frenchjewelry #artnouveaujewelry #nypl #bijou

I am sitting somewhere in the middle of the North Sea thinking about jabot pins an unusual type of brooch highly specific to the 1920s. Designed primarily to accent the era's cloche hat or dress lapel Tiffany sold very few of them. (This pair auctioned by Christie's quite some time ago). In scrolling through auction house websites, it appears that Cartier was by far the master of this form with Raymond Yard a close second. I suspect Tiffany's management never embraced the form because it may have been far too fashionable for the firm's then very conservative clientele. Instead the company's design records from the 1920s are filled with sketches for matching pairs of diamond clips. I am assuming these were considered far more practical than these streamlined flèche. . . . . . . #artdecojewelry #artdeco #flèche #vintagejewellery #vintagejewelry

Literally, EVERYONE teases me about my unabashed love (bordering on obsession) of 1940s Retro Era jewels. I adore the polished gold, the colored gemstones, and the swirling, curling designs. Here, a chunky citrine and ruby bracelet likely manufactured by Oscar Heyman and retailed by Tiffany. (Swipe for its matching earrings.) Lately offered at auction (lot was passed, auctioneer tagged). Why do I feel so lonely in my appreciation of these bold, optimistic jewels made when the world seemed anything but. . . . . . #1940sfashion #vintagejewelry #citrinejewelry #vintagetiffany #antiquejewellery

Tiaras appear infrequently at auction in the U.S. So when they do, they merit some notice, especially if they are unusual. This one, scheduled for auction on Tuesday, May 14 @hindmanauctions , is especially interesting since it is likely by the English jewelers, Phillips Brothers. Known for their Neapolitan coral jewelry, they seemed to have been an important supplier of coral tiaras. Apparently, there was a mania for branch coral tiaras in 1860s London, perhaps fueled by the gemstone's appeal as a colorful alternative to the pearl jewelry generally worn with white ball gowns. A remarkably similar branch coral tiara by the Phillips Brothers is in the Victoria & Albert museum. For even more about coral tiaras and the Phillips Brothers, see my catalog essay on @liveauctioneers . . . . . #tiara #coraljewelry #vintagejewelry #antiquejewelry #antiquecoral

To prepare for a talk next Spring, I've begun to do some research on avian jewelry especially jewels made and worn in America (this is where I climb onto my soapbox and say "I am an AMERICAN jewelry historian, remember!?). It is all very preliminary, but certain themes are already emerging, such as the popularity in the 1940s of the American eagle brooch. This example by Tifany soared well above estimate when sold recently at auction (auctioneer tagged). It is modeled as a screaming eagle, which is the mascot of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division. Perhaps not coincidentally, the group was activated in 1942. Still around today, one wonders if the reason this jewel did so well at auction was its appeal to a former or current member of the division. In any event, the eagle's posture - striking at a target - speaks volumes about the purpose of American wartime jewelry - aggressively patriotic. . . . #101stairborne #screamingeagle #vintagejewelry #tiffanyandco #1940sfashion

An entire episode of "The Gilded Age" could be written with this puzzle game as its centerpiece. Tiffany made about 25 of them for Boston's "Copper King" Thomas William Lawson's (1857-1925) yacht "Dreamer" (only a handful have come to auction). The games were likely placed in special guests' staterooms to be brought home as souvenirs of their trip. Scheduled for an upcoming auction (auctioneer tagged), the game is modeled after a mathematical puzzle called "Tower of Hanoi." A finely modeled bear dressed as a sailor supervises the game's play. The puzzle requires at least 484 moves to solve. (Game instructions are handily engraved on the bottom of the piece .) I have this vision of these grey-headed Titans of Industry sitting in their cabins, sipping Scotch and cursing while they try to solve the puzzle. . . . . #vintagepuzzle #antiquesilver #nauticalantiques #nauticaldecor #yachting

Here is a rather stunning mid-19th century English "grand parure" (swipe right for an image of the incredible box closed) sold at auction in 2020 (auctioneer tagged). Consisting of a tiara, earrings, 2 bracelets, brooch, necklace, and belt buckle, the shell cameos are carved with Greek gods and goddesses associated with love. The auction house catalog guessed that this likely means the suite was a wedding gift. Perhaps its new owner received it in the same manner? . . . . . . #tiara #bridaljewellery #vintagejewelry #cameojewelry #victorianjewelry