David Webb

David Webb is best known for his enamel jewelry of animal themes, where frogs look like they could jump off of the wearer’s cuffs. His pieces have been beloved by socialites and Hollywood for more than sixty years. Webb’s designs are distinguished by a bold use of color, dimension, and meticulous attention to detail. His designs also include carved crystal, abstract enamel designs, mixed with an eye catching combination of diamonds and semi-precious stones.

Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, David Webb began designing jewelry as a young boy. He apprenticed in his uncle's silversmith shop and learned metalsmithing techniques. Webb arrived in New York at the young age of seventeen and got a job repairing jewelry in Greenwich Village. Blond, handsome, and positively brimming with Southern charm, Webb navigated his way through New York society and met Antoinette Quilleret, a wealthy socialite who immediately recognized his design talents. They opened a shop in 1945.

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Nature Beckons

Asheville Dogwood Brooch. Pear-shaped weight approximately 1.79 carats. Emeralds, diamonds and platinum (1968)

Ashville Rose Brooch. Old European- and circular-cut diamonds, white gold, and platinum, c. 1960s

Ashville Clematis Brooch. 105 circular-cut rubies, 159 circular-cut diamonds, platinum, and white and yellow gold. 1968.

Asheville Trout Lily Brooch. Square and circular cut diamond flower, with marquise and baguette-cut diamonds stem, platinum. 1965

Webb was fastidious in his choice of plants when it came to working in his garden, and as a jewelry designer he brought a high degree of feeling to his early floral diamond brooches.

“Understand the importance of design for

David Webb and you understand Webb jewelry.”

Asheville Posy Brooch. Pear-shaped pink sapphire and circular-cut diamond flowers, circular-cut diamond and carved jade leaves, and baguette-cut diamond stems, tied with a circular-cut diamond ribbon, in white and yellow gold, designed 1950s, made 2012.

Pea Pod Brooch. Seven cabochon emeralds, circular- and baguette-cut diamonds, platinum, and gold, 1962.

Melon Brooch. Scored crescent coral fruit, pear-shaped diamond seeds, textured gold skin, with a cabochon emerald and circular-cut diamond fly; platinum, and gold, 1963.

Tomato Brooch. Carved coral fruit, circular-cut diamond stem and leaves, and a pear-shaped diamond dewdrop, platinum and gold, 1962

Sea Anemone Paperweight. Azurite crystal, cabochon turquoise and gold, designed 1966.

Two objects designed for Kennedy Gifts of State: a paperweight made of Montana green copper ore wrapped in 18-karat gold rope, and a sketch for a rock crystal and gold obelisk table ornament.

Turbo Shell Brooch. Shell, cabochon, circular-cut diamonds and gold, 1965.

1965- He turned his seashell collection to brooches occasionally stones set at broad end like crown, and enameled or gold “leaves” were applied to mimicked algae.

In 1964 Webb “found an off-beat stone that looked exactly like a stripper with a bare button. It inspired the first piece in the new collection.” This was a gold satyr. The Renaissance collection that included the satyr, siren, seahorse, and Neptune.

Sundial Shell Evening Box. Circular-cut diamonds, platinum, and chased gold, 1972

The sea was an influence on a number of the evening boxes that David Webb made.

“The Webb boxes are no passing fancies but marvelous little works of

art, no two alike.”

- Eugenia Sheppard

Turtle Shell Compact.

Circular-cut diamonds and

gold, 1966

Jewelers took to the Lion’s Paw shell because of its rich color palette and deeply ridged surface. Webb gave it utilitarian purpose by adapting it as a compact, which he massed with 44 faceted sapphires and a string of 368 diamonds suggesting sea flora.

Shell Evening Box, 1972: Giant Clamshell Evening Box, 1966: Tree Trunk Evening Box, 1972: Starfish Compact, 1966

Spider Webb Evening Box. Cabochon emerald and chased gold, 1969.

Webb’s concept for the evening box was that you could carry one in your hand and not fret about messy things such as straps and handles.

SOLID GOLD FUN

Two necklaces connected by Webb’s love for what he called “barbaric” forms. The necklace on the left is an elaborate series of graduated scrolls that fits close at the neck and descends near that erogenous zone known as the decolletage.

Ru-yi Necklace. Hammered gold graduated double C-scroll links, 1970.

“I had always been fascinated by barbaris jewelry; and very early

jewelry. Its total naivete, and it’s also very feminine.”

- David Webb

Above: Mayan Ear Clips, 1972. Right: Escargot Bracelet, 1968

The constantly evolving ways of looking at something happened for Webb, who never met a scroll whose curve he couldn’t lengthen, shorten, flatten, stretch, or compress. More amazing was the fact that each iteration was complete and stood on its own as a valid design. Knots and patterns made by wrapping gold recur in Webb’s work.

Flat Scroll Brooch. Circular-cut diamonds, platinum and hammered gold, 1972.

Left: Cloud Collar Necklace. Chased gold graduated scroll laque links 1971.

Right: Celtic Crescent Necklace. Hammered gold graduated links, suspending a similar pendant, 1971

Starlight Necklace. Circular-cut diamonds, platinum, and hammered gold 1970

Webb’s inspiration for his gold-themed jewelry was not New York but from his art history books and from the ancient works at the Metropolitan Museum. He turned to Egypt in the age of Tutankhamun, to Alexander the Great’s Greco-Persian Empire and the rise of Hellenistic jewelry….these inspired the patterned gold works.

The sculpture impact of Webb’s cuff derived from his interpretation of pan-Mesoamerican art from the 15th century. The Webb cuff mimics the mosaic surface of the original with a stippled skin, made with an electric hammer.

Aztec Serpent Bracelet. Polished and chased gold 1969

Top: The St. George Bracelet. Circular diamonds, platinum, and textured gold 1969Right: Wave bracelet. Faceted rock crystal and hammered gold 1970

Left: Scroll Collar + Concentrated collar. Circular-cut diamonds. platinum and hammered gold 1971Above: Nail ring. Chased gold 1971

ORDERS & ORNAMENTS

Left:Tire Ring. Circular-cut diamond collets, rectangular coral, white enamel, platinum and gold 1971

Right: Bastille Ring. Sugarloaf cabochon turquoise, circular-cut diamond collets, black enamel, platinum and gold 1971

Bastille Cuff. Four rectangular sugarloaf cabochon turquoise, circular-diamonds, black enamel, platinum and gold 1972

Once Webb had a general design for a bracelet or a brooch, he used it as the basis from which he would make numerous styles.

Left: Healing Ring. Rectangular carved spinel, cabochon emeralds, black enamel and gold 1971

Right: Heraldic Totem Brooch: Cabochon ruby, cylindrical coral, carved jade, lapis lazuli, carnelian, circular-cut diamonds, platinum 1976

Left: Aztec Pendant Necklace. Cabochon sapphires, emerald beads, circular-cut diamonds, white enamel, platinum and gold 1972

Right: Aztec Ear Pendants. Cabochon sapphires, emerald beads, circular-cut diamonds, white enamel, platinum and gold 1972

Webb was attracted to color and enamel, and the Maltese cross with its myriad variations.

Left: Heraldic Fleur-De-Lis Brooch. Circular-cut diamonds, platinum and hammered gold 1970

Right: Lex Bracelet. Circular-cut diamonds, black enamel, platinum and gold 1976

The flattened scrolls at times more pre-Columbian than Asia, occurred in much of Webb’s gold jewelry from the early 1970s

Buckminster Fuller’s sketch for a geodesic dome of 1972 and Webb’s sketch for his Geodesic Dome Ring (Right)

Geodesic Dome Ring: Circular-cut diamonds, platinum and gold 1965

Left: Webb Shoelace Cuff & Scroll Shoelace Cuff

Right: Lex Necklace. Pave-set diamond and platinum, black enamel and gold geometric openwork plaque joined to a chain of similar geometric links alternating with gold oval links. 1973

Left: Bamboo Cuff. Carved jade bamboo trapezoid plaque, circular-cut diamonds, black enamel, platinum and hammered.

Right: Five Blessing Cuff. Carved jade rectangular plaque, circular cut diamonds, black enamel, platinum and hammered gold 1972

Top: Dancing Queen Ear Pendants. Polished rock crystal links, cabochon amethyst, circular-cut diamonds and gold 1973

RIght: Dancing Queen Necklace. Faceted and polished rock crystal links set with cabochon amethyst joined by circular-diamond and gold links 1973

Left: Chimera Bracelet. Carved coral, two jade beads, cabochon sapphires, circular-cut diamonds. black enamel, platinum and gold 1972

Right: Twin frog bracelet. Green enamel, cabochon rubies, circular-cut diamonds, platinum and gold. 1964

Webb’s enamel bracelets clasped with the bejeweled gold heads of jungle beasts are as essential as food and drink at LA Grenouille to the fashion society clan.” - Marilyn Bender

Left: Webb Zebra Bracelet. Black and white enamel, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon rubies, platinum and gold 1963

Right: Double Headed Giraffe Bracelet. Black and white enamel, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon rubies, platinum and gold 1964

Left: Anniversary Cuff. Four pear-shaped emeralds and chased and sculpted gold 1973.

Right: Double-headed Leopard Bracelet. Cabochon turquoise, cabochon emeralds, circular-cut diamonds, white enamel, platinum and gold 1964

Left: Elephant Bracelet. Ribbed and chased gold, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon rubies, a cabochon emerald and platinum 1968.Right: Leo Bracelet. Black enamel, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon rubies, and gold 1968

Left: Double Headed Tiger Bracelet. Black enamel, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon emeralds, platinum and gold 1967.

Right: Tiger Bracelet. White enamel, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon emeralds, platinum and gold 1963.

Left: Dragon Bracelet. Black enamel, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon emeralds, platinum and gold 1968

Right: Dappled Blue Horse Bracelet. Stippled blue enamel, circular-diamonds, cabochon emeralds, platinum and gold 1965

“One thing you can count on, David Webb’s animals are never cute.”

- Eugenia Sheppard

Left: Rhinoceros Bracelet. Carved coral, pear-shaped and circular-cut diamonds, cabochon emeralds, platinum and gold 1980Right: Dolphin Bracelet. Cross-hatched carved coral, cabochon and circular-cut emeralds, circular-cut diamonds, platinum and gold 1981

Top: Chimera Bracelet. Carved rock crystal, black enamel, rubies, circular-cut diamonds, gold and platinum 1973Left: Makara Bracelet. Rectangular-cut yellow sapphires, cabochon and circular-cut emeralds, circular-cut diamonds.

Left: Repousse Leopard Cuff. Cabochon emeralds and chased gold 1968

Right: Greek Lion Bangles. Cabochon ruby eyes, emerald eyes. 1969

Left: Leopard Brooch. Collet-set diamond and black enamel quatrefoil spots, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon emerald, platinum and gold 1964

Right: Leopard Bracelet. Collet-set diamond and white enamel trefoil spots, circular-cut emeralds, black enamel and gold 1964.

ANIMALS AS DECORATION & HEAVENLY DELIGHT

Ceremonial Elephant Brooch. Mabe pearl, carved rubies, circular-cut diamonds, carved and circular-cut emeralds, off-white enamel, platinum and gold 1964

Fantasy object. Carved lapis lazuli, carved and cabochon rubies, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon emeralds, jade bi disks, scored rock crystal, white enamel, platinum and gold 1975

In the mid-1960’s, Webb depicted animals with decorative headpiece or bejeweled collars, leaning more toward ceremony than the circus.

Webb pieces are drawn with simple lines, suggesting an emphasis more on clarity than in making “art.” He did few redrawing of the animals, yet they bear near-likeness to the final piece

Rampant Lion Brooch. Circular-cut diamonds and emeralds and sculpted and chased gold 1965

Gypsy Monkey Brooch. 1965

Inscrutable Monkey. 1975

Angry Beaver Brooch. Cushion and circular-cut yellow sapphires, tapered baguette-cut

diamond teeth, circular-cut

diamonds, pear-shaped emeralds,

platinum and gold 1965

“I believe the things I make have museum quality and,

hopefully, will last as long as the originals that inspired

them.”

- David Webb

Top: Hippocamp Brooch. Black enamel, circular-cut diamonds, a pear-shaped emerald eye, platinum and gold 1968Right: Pegasus Brooch. White enamel, circular-cut diamonds, a pear-shaped cabochon emerald eye, platinum and gold 1968

Carved coral was David’s speciality, and it was a medium he made into a number of animal brooches.

Left: Seahorse Brooch. Carved coral, circular-cut diamonds, cabochon emeralds, platinum and gold 1966.

“We do everything from the raw material to the finished

pieces. Every stone is cut here - except the diamonds - and all the stone-carving is done here

too.”

- David Webb

Left: Virgo Bracelet. Cabochon sapphires, diamonds, platinum and gold 1968Right: Capricon Bracelet. Green enamel, diamonds, cabochon emerald and rubies, platinum and gold 1968

In the late sixties David Webb began designing jewelry based on signs of the zodiac, including those done as bracelets. Each Zodiac bracelet was a singular creation.

CRAZY FOR COLOR

This drawing was influenced by Indian design, made with cultured and baroque pearls, diamonds, and set in platinum 1960. 3 ½ inches long.Doris Duke shown wearing at a birthday party for Steve Rubell.

Raja Tears Bracelet. Pear-shaped cabochon emerald and ruby, diamonds, emeralds and rubies, platinum and gold 1969.

Darjeeling Ring. Oval carved emerald, rectangular-cut emeralds, cabochon rubies, diamonds and gold 1973

Kaleidoscope Brooch. Oval cabochon ruby, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and gold 1966.

Twisted Vine Bracelet. Pave set diamond crossover design with interchangeable cabochon ruby and turquoise 1966

Turkish Turban Ear Clips. Baroque cultured pearls, carved rubies, sapphires and emeralds, diamond and gold 1980

Gumdrop Ring. Cabochon emeralds, diamonds, platinum and gold 1969

Aquamarine Ear Clips.

Rectangular-cut aquamarines,

diamonds, platinum and

hammered gold plaque mount

1980

Webb likes to buy old jade from antique shops in New York. He had to accommodate the unique shapes by designing a number of “frames” to contain the actual stones he had on hand.

Longevity Necklace. Carved white jade center plaque with cabochon ruby collets and a hammered gold scroll 1971.

Ru-yi Necklace. Two carved jade plaques, seren carved jade medallions and hammered gold 1971.

Dragon Cuff: Round carved jade and hammered gold 1970.

The Dodie Rosekrans Necklace. Carved jade medallion in

diamond, blue enamel, and hammered gold frame, joined to

a jade bead, 1970

Spectator Cuff: Cabochon rubies and emeralds collet-set on carved ivory and gold 1970. Slice Cuff, Buckle

Cuff, Rickrack Cuff: Pave-set diamonds,

diamond collets, white enamel,

platinum and gold

Cuff Links:Leopard, frog, Elephant, Step Pyramid, Lion

Pearls &

Diamonds

Maharaja Necklace: Oval-cut emerald in a circular-cut diamond hexagonal frame, joined to a necklace set with diamonds and tiers of cabochon emerald drops and platinum. 1977

“The more of an artist a designer is the less he is

impressed by just diamonds.”

- Marilyn Bender

The rise Stevens Necklace. 34 yellow and 82 blue cushion and fancy-cut sapphires totaling 410 carats forming ten arched plaques, enhanced by circular-cut diamond X links, platinum and gold 1958.

THE END