Hot off the Bench: Modern Art Nouveau Pendant

Some of you may already know how much we at Custom love the era of Art Nouveau. So we were thrilled when we were commissioned to make a modern Art Nouveau pendant. Our client was referred to us by our friend Phil over at Alternatives Lapidary. Phil had cut an amazing 9 carat shield-shaped Citrine, and our client wanted us to turn it into a one-of-a-kind present for his girlfriend. He knew he wanted something reminiscent of the Art Nouveau time period, but left the ultimate design completely up to us.

The Art Nouveau time period is known for its natural motifs and organic, airy shapes. The trick with this design was to balance the gorgeous — but angular — central stone, with soft detailing that felt whimsical and natural. After a few rounds of designs, we came up with a unique motif that is reminiscent of leafy vines, olive branches, and ultimately a walk in an Italian wood. Cast in sterling silver, we allowed the Citrine to be the center of attention, and accented it with marquis-cut tourmalines and round cut iolites, which play up the lovely golden hue of the center stone. We’re thrilled with the final piece, and I like to imagine the finished necklace is something a Grecian goddess might wear when she communed with the humans on earth.

We couldn’t be prouder to deliver this final product to it’s owner all the way in California, and we’re very happy to hear our client’s girlfriend was thrilled by her truly one-of-a-kind piece.