Necklace

One of the enduring legacies of Gabrielle Chanel was her elevation of costume jewelry to high fashion. Maison Gripoix, a house that has serviced the couture industry since its founding in 1869, was among her earliest and most frequent collaborators. Their specialized pâte de verre (glass paste) technique was developed by the founder, Augustine Gripoix, and passed down generationally. In opposition to the kiln method of other manufacturers, the house pours molten glass directly into molds. This careful and costly process allows for greater freedom with coloration and form.

Gripoix became particularly admired for its sophisticated metal settings that framed floating glass to achieve a subtle effervescence. This design by Suzanne Gripoix for Chanel reflects the late 1930s vogue for romantic nature-based motifs with a wreath of graduated translucent flower heads. The boldness of the design is tempered by its naturalistic shapes that take the form of red dahlias, flowers with a host of symbolic associations that include dignity, eloquence, eternal love, fickleness, and the ephemerality of beauty.