Gift Guide #6: Macklowe Gallery’s picks for our 12 days of Gifts for the Holidays Series
This season we are lucky enough to have enlisted 12 expert modern designer retailers, antique dealers and shops for our holiday gift guide. For each installment, we have asked for suggestions from their brick and mortar or online stores. We have also asked what gift they would choose for themselves this holiday season.
For those of you who are familiar with Macklowe Gallery as the one of the U.S. premier dealers of 20th century decorative arts, specializing in Art Nouveau objects and Tiffany lamps, it’s museum quality collection also encompasses Georgian through mid-century jewelry. Situated in a warm, welcoming space directly across from Barney’s New York on Madison Avenue, the windows highlight pieces that range from antique to those by renowned jewelry such as Rene Boivin, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels and David Webb.
According to Ben Macklowe, president, “this holiday season for us is all about colorful and joyous stones–pink topaz, turquoise, peridot and aquamarine. These are gems that will spark up your loved one’s style and lift their spirits during the blahs of the winter months. But pieces in these hues also provide a lively addition to any jewelry collection and can be worn year round and of course for years to come.” He continues, “The three pieces we have selected are all from our antique jewelry collection, yet they couldn’t feel more relevant in terms of styling and design.”
“We recommend these antique English 15K gold and oxidized silver earrings, set with diamonds and pink topaz for their fluidity of movement and their color, which compliments almost everyone woman’s complexion. These were made in the Georgian-style of girandole earrings around 1900. We are partial to the the way they gently bounce off of the light also adds a subtle sparkle around the face.”
“The mix of colors in this necklace offers a exuberant and happy vibe. Set in silver topped 18K gold, it is set with diamonds, peridots, grossularite garnets, pink topaz, aquamarines and chrysoberyls. In addition to the beauty in the mix of gemstones, it’s an antique piece with provenance. This necklace was the property of the Estate of Quincy Adams Shaw. He was a businessman who invested in copper mining in the 19th century. He lived in Paris in the 1850s and was an avid art collector.”
“For those who love antique jewels but also have an affinity for the Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alhambra motif, we think this bracelet with dangling locket can be seen as an ancestor, approximating the iconic clover design. All aspects of this French 18K gold and enamel bracelet set with turquoise is charming and perfect for those who appreciate intricate details. Both the enamel work, which is designed in Moorish arabesque set with cabochon turquoise and the hanging locket feature the clover shaped motif—another piece that feels current with today’s feminine yet bold jewelry.”
Ben doesn’t mess around with his holiday gift list—his choices has everything going for it—a beautiful design, renowned jewelry house and historical context.
“I would be thrilled to own this fabulous pair of Russian enamel and silver cufflinks with diamonds by Fabergé. They are very representative of a time when the ancestral elite of Russia was in power, but they are also a reminder of the decadence of this period, as well as the fall of the Tsardom of Russia. The cufflinks are shaped as swirls framed in silver set rose cut diamonds, and the original Russian box is a wonderful addition to the overall historical feeling that I love so much.”
