Art Deco Jewellery

Art Deco Jewellery
by Clare Phillips

This glittering lecture delves into the world of Art Deco jewellery during the dazzling decades of the 1920s and ’30s, a time when jewellery was still a key part of fashionable society and diamonds reigned supreme. Taking its title from the landmark 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris—where the term “Art Deco” was born—the talk showcases the breathtaking pieces that defined this bold and glamorous era.

You’ll explore the work of legendary Parisian jewellers such as Cartier, Boucheron, Fouquet, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chanel, alongside iconic designs from major houses like Tiffany in New York. It’s a sparkling celebration of timeless elegance, exquisite craftsmanship, and the enduring allure of Art Deco style.

ABOUT THE LECTURER

Clare Phillips (MA, Royal College of Art) has been a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum since 1989. As a jewellery historian, she is a key member of the small team dedicated to the V&A’s jewellery collection. She has written extensively on the subject, including Jewels & Jewellery, the definitive account of the V&A’s collection, and Jewelry: From Antiquity to the Present, Thames & Hudson’s accessible introductory text.

Her scholarly works also include definitive studies on the jewellery of Tiffany for Yale University Press and on Chaumet’s tiaras for Thames & Hudson. In 2006, she curated the exhibition Bejewelled by Tiffany at Somerset House. In addition to her work with the V&A’s permanent collection, she has been responsible for jewellery content within major exhibitions, including—among many others—Art Nouveau: 1890–1914 and Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up.