ART DECO ROCK CRYSTAL, ONYX, ENAMEL AND DIAMOND SAUTOIR, GEORGES FOUQUET

Georges Fouquet joined his father’s jewelry business before the turn of the 20th Century. Art Nouveau design became a main focus and their firm; Fouquet ranked as one of the masters of the brief, yet impactful, era. Upon his father’s retirement in 1895, Georges took over complete direction of the firm. By 1919 he was joined by his son, Jean, and together they incorporated new elements of style into their craftsmanship and contributed to the shift from Art Nouveau to Art Deco design.

To inspire innovative ideas, Georges and Jean Fouquet surrounded themselves with artists from the decorative arts, including interior designers, furniture manufacturers, textile specialists and painters, like André Léveillé. Until about 1924, Fouquet had produced traditional high French jewelry with a focus on the opposition between black and white gemstones and forms. With newfound encouragement, both Georges and Jean began to use hardstones in a sculptural manner, contrasting their matte surfaces with brilliant diamonds and other transparent gemstones. Traditionally these fine gemstones had been the main focus of the firm, however, the stark distinction between opaque hardstones and materials like frosted rock crystal became a signature style.