Description
Frank Rebajes gets most of the attention when American mid-century modernist jewellery comes up, but he wasn’t working alone. A wider community of American studio jewellers, Esther Lewittes among them, were producing sterling silver work through the same period, applying the same broad modernist instincts without necessarily building the same commercial fame.
This brooch is a genuine example of that wider studio jewellery movement. It’s worked in sterling rather than Rebajes’ signature copper, some workshops worked in precious metal from the start.
Why the wider studio movement matters, not just the famous names. American studio jewellery in this period was genuinely decentralised, small workshops and individual makers across the country.
What to look for. A clear sterling stamp alongside the maker’s mark, both present here, confirms genuine precious-metal studio work rather than a plated reproduction.
This piece was part of a small, genuinely personal collection of mid-century and antique jewellery, gathered over years rather than acquired for resale. It has since sold.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.