The Art of David Webb Jewelry and Culture

The Art of David Webb celebrates the designer’s dedication to artistry over more than seven decades.

When David Webb came to New York at the age of 17, he was captivated by the museums, architecture, and fashions of the day. By the time he opened shop in 1948, the city had become his muse. In his only published article, “Why Not Hang Gems?,” of 1963, he wrote that jewelry deserved to be regarded as art and collected by museums.

That conviction fuels The Art of David Webb. Here is jewelry shown as art in more than 120 images—all specially photographed for this book—that speak to the variety of artistic and cultural periods that inspired David Webb and the company he founded. Examples include Webb’s enameled and diamond Mondrian Bracelet, an homage to Piet Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie and Yves Saint Laurent’s 1960s sheath dress with its famed color blocking; a gemstone-rich dragon brooch taken from a Scythian animal pommel; and a scored rock crystal and diamond bracelet that updates art deco classics. Throughout, work by photographers, painters, sculptors, architects, couturiers, and photographers form a visual dialogue with the sumptuous David Webb jewelry. The imaginative pairings, in-depth descriptive captions, and elegantly designed publication are resounding proof that jewelry is both art and culture.

Ruth Peltason is an author, editor, jewelry historian, and lecturer. Her books include Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry, which made the New York Times Bestseller List; Living Jewels; and David Webb: The Quintessential American Jeweler, named the best gift book of the year in 2013 by the Los Angeles Times. David Webb has long been the leading American jeweler of bold, modern works, best known for distinctive carved and enameled animal bracelets, colorful sautoirs, and exquisite rock crystal pieces. All the jewelry is made on the premises in New York.