James de Givenchy (Taffin)

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Stellene Volandes, Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design, Rizzoli, New York, 2016, p. 91

Livia Tenuta, Gioiello & Jewellery, Silvana editoriale, Milan, 2018, pp. 137, 141, 153

Melanie Grant, Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewelry, Phaidon Press, London, 2020, pp. 28, 31, 51

This stunning antique Carved Columbian Emerald ring is a unique piece by designer James de Givenchy, manufactured by Taffin in the house’s New York headquarters. De Givenchy has been called ‘a torchbearer of color in contemporary design’ and this piece represents a pinnacle of this element to his work: an imaginative combination of three separate tones of verdant green that come together to create a marvelous whole. (Melanie Grant, Coveted: Art and Innovation in High Jewelry, Phaidon Press, London, 2020, p. 28) In another designer’s oeuvre, the carved antique Colombian emerald might be used in a more classic manner. De Givenchy harnesses design in his 'trademark experiments with lacquer and ceramic.' (Stellene Volandes, Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design, Rizzoli, New York, 2016, p. 91) The smooth ceramic and gold juxtaposed with the hard-edged setting, incised emerald, and seed pearls work in tandem to create an exciting whole larger than the mere sum of its parts.