Necklace

This necklace exemplifies the quality and originality of jewelry made by Marcus & Co., a leading New York City establishment patronized by an affluent and discerning clientele, including the Rockefellers, Woolworths, Flaglers, Vanderbilts, and the prominent advocate for women’s rights and education, Sarah Bates Lawrence. Herman Marcus (1828–99), a German-born and Dresden-trained jeweler, arrived in New York in 1850. He worked for several prestigious firms before establishing Marcus & Co. in 1892. Following his death, the company continued and flourished under the direction of his two sons, George Elder Marcus (1859–1917) and William Marcus(1857–1925). Surviving drawings suggest this necklace was designed by George.

Marcus & Co. produced a wide variety of jewelry and was one of the only U.S. jewelers of its day to master the challenging technique of plique-à-jour enamel, in which enamel is suspended in cells with no backing so that it is translucent, creating an effect that resembles stained glass. Likely inspired by such innovative French enamellists and designers as Boucheron, Eugene Feuillatre, René Lalique, Etienne Tourrette, and Georges Fouquet, this necklace’s plique-à-jour enameling is outstanding. The subtle coloring of the thin, pale blue enamel cells complements and animates the aquamarines, shifting from almost colorless to deeper blue depending upon the light, angle, and skin tone or garment color of the wearer. The sinuous scrolls, curving contours, and naturalistic motifs manifest avant-garde Art Nouveau sensibilities that enjoyed favor in Europe and the United States at the turn of the century.