Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist – September 2019

that’s intrigued artists for thousands
of years for varying reasons. Diff er-
ent cultures had diff erent meanings
they applied to the snake.”
By 1800, European jewelers had
perfected the linked necklace of
slinky enameled scales and cabo-
chon jeweled head that, more often
than not, clasped in front by biting
its own tail. These necklaces were
adaptations of an ancient symbol
of eternity known as “ouroboros,”
an image pictured in an ancient
Egyptian text found in the tomb of
Tutankhamun, dating to the 14th
century B.C.
If you look at snake bangles
throughout history, you can usu-
ally identify when they were made
and worn. Tiff any made one in the
1970s, for example, that was stiff
and gleaming in polished gold. You
can tell it immediately from more
recent snake bangles which are
often covered in gems.
Dada Arrigoni’s snakes glitter
with pavé brown diamonds, at-
tached to a rounded leather band
that encircles the wrist fi ve times,
creating a stacked rock-star look.
Temple St. Claire, Sevan Bicakci,

and Jade Trau cover their coiled

snakes in diamonds, Bicakci adding

oxidized silver mesh to one of his.

Wendy Yue gave her snake brace-

lets scales of cabochon sapphire

and opal.

“It’s interesting to see how this

tradition continues today,” Stoehrer

says. The best contemporary reviv-

alist jewelry “clearly engages with

the past,” she says. “But it’s also

clearly designed in a diff erent scale

and looks completely diff erent than

the originals or the 19th-century

Revivalist jewelry.”

CATHLEEN MCCARTHY has covered

jewelry and business for Town & Country, JCK, The

Washington Post, and her own site, TheJewelry-

Loupe.com. She also writes the Net Profi ts column

for Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist and http://www.

interweave.com/jewelry.

Scarab Brooch

Cartier (French, founded in 1847)

England (London), 1924

Gold, platinum, faience, diamonds,

emeralds, smoky quartz, and enamel

Vincent Wulveryck, Cartier Collection © Cartier

PHOTO © MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

Updated Past

ANCIENT REINVENTED,

PAGE 48

More on

Revivalists

“Jewelry

Revivals,

Ancient to

Modern”

LAPIDARY

JOURNAL

JEWELRY

ARTIST,

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

http://www.interweave.com/jewelry

Egyptian Revival Necklace

Louis Comfort Tiffany

American, 1848-1933

About 1913

Gold, lapis lazuli, amber, and turquoise

Private Collection

PHOTO © MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

ands

ffer-

ngs

ad Doryn Wallach

Necklace

Marbled agate pendant, South Sea pearl,

0.80tcw diamonds, 30" ball chain, 18K satin

yellow gold

PHOTO: COURTESY DORYN WALLACH

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 47