DAVID WEBB DIAMOND, EMERALD AND SAPPHIRE PENDANT BROOCH

Specialist's Notes: At the age of 16 David Webb left North Carolina for New York where his special gifts in designing and jewelry quickly became apparent. Mentored by a very stylish French socialite living in Manhattan, Antoinette Quilleret, he was encouraged to further his ambitions and with her backing, formed David Webb Inc. His first shop was set up on 57th street by the time he was 23 years old in 1948. Webb’s designs of the 1950’s and 1960’s showcased endless variations on animals, flowers and organic forms. By the 1970’s, he had adopted a new vocabulary of hammered gold, enamel, colors, textures and shapes incorporated into geometric motifs which were a reflection of the time. He was “the” jeweler in Manhattan and New York society gave him many special commissions. At the height of production, he had two workshops and employed 200 bench jewelers and 37 setters. Sadly, his creative output ended with his untimely death in 1975. But he did leave behind a legacy of many iconic design motifs and a comprehensive library of drawings and archives and the present day David Webb Inc. continues the tradition of design and craftsmanship.