Old Hollywood

Rudolph Valentino's home

View from down the hill.  More interesting is the more modest house just below ...long gone as is most of old Hollywood.

Elizabeth Taylor's Jewelry Legacy

The finest collection in Hollywood and perhaps one of the finest private collections in the world

Kashmir sapphire ring, natural fancy "Canary" yellow diamond ring and kunzite and amethyst necklace and earrings. 

Miss Taylor's' passion for gems and fine jewelry was legendary.  And like any true connoisseur her collection was varied and eclectic- from the magnificent to the unusual and exotic. 

Joan Crawford's Jewelry and Fashion

Miss Crawford's jewelry- Here we have a curious example of Regency influenced RETRO.  In aquamarine, diamond and 18KT yellow gold. Very unusual for aquamarine to be set in yellow gold-  aqua is usual set in white gold or platinum. 

RETRO INFLUENCES

RETRO RETRO

RETRO or contemporary 1950’s design concepts owe a great deal to a NASA and rocket engineering term that made its way into popular culture in the form of retrograde-rockets.  At the time rockets were the zenith of technology and thus modern....subsequently RETRO was synonyms with modern and influenced designers throughout fashion and industry.  Most generously in automobile styling.  And for our purposes in a post-modernism concepts of fashion and jewelry.  So the revisiting of RETRO jewelry or any aspect of 1950’s design concepts is a sort of retro-RETRO.

ART-DECO and RETRO in Silver

Silver ART DECO jewelry

Period RETRO Jewelry was characterized by the use of yellow, rose and occasionally green gold. 

The design of these cabochon earrings originated in Rome in the 1950's and were popularized by well known designers in the 1960's in the USA.  We ourselves reproduced them in the 1980’s for AMEN WARDY and Laykin et Cie. 

MAGNIFICENT ART-DECO PENDENT

ART-DECO still in limited production and still made in Downtown Los Angeles. 

Amethyst and diamond pendant.  This is a contemporary piece we made up in 2006 and sold through friends in Newport Beach California.  This Amethyst is absolutely extraordinary, we bought this stone on a trip to Bolivia ...comes from the same mine that produces Amatrine and occasional exceptional Amethyst.  

HOLLYWOOD REGENCY...more is always better!

RETRO and REGENCY:
Somehow that RETRO mirror and the Chinoisere wallpaper work ...maybe only in Hollywood.

RETRO TELEVISION

PERRY MASON
Reflecting the idealism and optimism of the era- Justice was served.  Mr. Mason always prevailed and despite surroundings of death and mayhem everyone looked fabulous.
And if that were not enough poor Della Street could not so much as cross the room without Mr. Mason or Mr. Drake taking her by the arm.

SERIOUS COCKTAILS DEMAND SERIOUS COCKTAIL RINGS

Christian Dior ring.

Magnificent Tony Duquette ring:  Rubillite (red) tourmaline with black enamel set in 18KT gold and diamonds.  

Our own Sunset Boulevard cocktail ring.  

Originally designed for I.MAGNIN's still in production and still made in Downtown Los Angeles.  shown here 25.5ct Morganite set in 18KT white gold.

Our "Sunset Boulevard" RETRO bracelet. Still in limited production and still made in Downtown Los Angeles.

ART-DECO ARCHITECTURE IN LOS ANGELES

An absolute gem of Art-Deco architecture in Los Angeles.

The old Bullocks Wilshire department store opened in 1929 in what was then largely residential section of Downtown.  Sadly the store closed in 1993 thankfully the building remains.

Interior view Bullocks Wilshire department store.

Interior designed by Tony Duquette early in his career.