Lalique, dreams captured into jewellery

René Jules Lalique - The "Rembrandt" among jewellers was the leading French jewellery designer known for his fabulous creations during the Art Nouveau period. Lalique created new techniques and highly original designs. He was born in Ay, on the Maine, was apprenticed at 16 to the Parisian silversmith and jeweller, Louis Aucoq, attended art schools in Paris and London, and upon returning to Paris made designs for Aucoq, Cartier, Boucheron and others.

He managed, and in 1886 took over, the workshop of Jules d'Estape. After making, in 1891-1894, several pieces of jewellery for Sarah Bernhardt, he exhibited his work at the 1894 Paris Salon, and was acclaimed for his Art Nouveau jewellery, especially after his success at the Paris Exhibition of 1900, which led to his vogue with royalty and the aristocracy.

As it is almost a must for any self-respecting jewellery-collecting museum to own a piece of Lalique jewellery with plique-à-jour enamel (the glass-stained window effect), most of these pieces disappear into museum collections. Therefore, it is very unusual to find Lalique pieces in the trade.

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Click here to see this magnificent Lalique brooch.