Premier Fair: Jewellery Highlights of TEFAF Maastricht 2024

The world’s preeminent art and antiques dealers are preparing to descend upon the Netherlands for the latest edition of TEFAF Maastricht from March 9-14, 2024. This event is always bursting with unusual jewels, notably vintage creations, but also artistic contemporary pieces that demonstrate boundary-pushing skills with alternative materials, such as titanium and bronze. From Hemmerle and Forms to Anna Hu and Van Cleef & Arpels, here are some of the pieces that jewellery lovers visiting the fair should look out for…

Here at KaterinaPerez.com, we spend so much time focusing our attention on relatively small items – rings, brooches, and earrings – that it’s always a pleasure to see luxury in larger form, whether that’s antique furniture, contemporary art, sculpture, or silverware. TEFAF Maastricht is a wonderful opportunity to be immersed in historical and contemporary artistry, surrounded by dealers who are about as passionate as one can get about their chosen field of expertise. This year’s event will feature several prominent art jewellers, brands, and vintage purveyors, many of whom have shared their top picks for this article. As you might expect, these aren’t wallflower creations!

Hong Kong-based high jeweller Forms will present a trio of shapely earrings, all achieved with aluminium and titanium to create dimension without the lobe-dragging weight. First, there’s a pair of ‘Tip-to-Tip’ earrings with pear-shaped Paraiba tourmalines set in tear-drop frames of aluminium, surrounded by marquise-shaped diamonds mounted in 18k white gold. There’s something electric about a pair of fuchsia titanium Wing earrings in 18k white gold, where wave-like undulations of metal shimmer with round brilliant-cut white diamonds. We are also intrigued by a pair of amber and yellow diamond earrings, each suspending three carved oval-shaped pieces of amber with a creamy white colour infused with streaks of honey yellow. The piece de resistance from Forms, however, has to be a rare Colombian no-oil emerald and diamond ring. The octagonal centre stone is a whopping 8.04 carats, set in 18k white gold, and is surrounded by calibré-cut and baguette-cut diamonds.

Hemmerle will also be at TEFAF with examples of its iconic Harmony bangle as well as a vibrant selection of jewels, including oval-shaped tanzanites in aluminium and white gold and fancy deep brown-yellow Type IIa pear-shaped diamonds in bronze and white gold. Expect to see plenty of colour from the brand, as well as a handful of surprises, such as a carnelian intaglio necklace crafted in copper, white and red gold.

If there’s one designer we can always rely upon for exceptional jewellery artistry, it’s Anna Hu. In Maastricht, she will present the poetic Dance of Dunhuang high jewellery brooch, crafted in titanium with clam pearls of 112.32 and 37.51 carats, fancy-shaped diamonds, yellow and pink fancy colour diamonds, round brilliant-cut diamonds and orange sapphires. First, you’ll notice the remarkable baroque shape of the clam pearls, which have been used to capture the shape of a tulip in the moment before it blooms. Anna Hu was inspired by the significance of the tulip in both Chinese and Dutch cultures, its pathway along the Silk Road, and the interchange of rare tulip specimens between the Dutch royal family and the Dowager Empress Cixi of the Qing dynasty in the 19th century.

In addition to this piece, Anna Hu will present nine further creations across two main themes: butterflies and nature, specifically the patterns of animals, flora, and fauna. Some will include beautiful examples of rare natural pearls and blister pearls, according to the designer’s pre-show promises! She will also present the Gnossienne brooch in white gold, jade, ruby, pear-shaped diamonds, and brilliant-cut white diamonds, which celebrates the crane and its role in Chinese art.

Boghossian will use diamonds to draw the crowds at TEFAF, notably a pair of earrings with pear-shaped Type IIa diamonds over five carats each! In keeping with the KaterinaPerez.com love for colour, there are two more pieces on our TEFAF radar, including a rhombus-shaped ring with a fancy vivid yellow marquise-shaped diamond centre, surrounded by colourless diamonds and intricately carved mother of pearl. A pair of ‘Kissing’ earrings with Paraiba tourmalines and diamonds are the perfect neon punch, highlighting the brand’s setting technique by layering gemstones so they appear to float in mid-air.

Elsewhere, German goldsmith Otto Jakob will also return to TEFAF Maastricht to showcase his inimitable style. Examples include the Huon ring with a cornflower blue sapphire in a voluminous four-claw setting with a quatrefoil of ruby cabochons, housed in yellow gold and oxidized white gold and the Fiametta earrings in blackened white gold, painted gold accents, rose-cut diamonds, and ruby cabochons. We are also reliably informed that Otto Jakob will present the Prix I ring, which was destined for TEFAF New York (May 10-14) but is being brought to the spotlight now due to interest from collectors. This piece is inspired by “biomechanical aesthetics, evoking the imagery of bones and intricate 3D-printed mathematical models” and features details inspired by traditional Māori wood carvings on the reverse. It’s completely hand-carved in wax and cast in white gold using the lost wax casting technique to achieve the “perfect casting crust” and create an unusual surface texture. The centre stone is an octagonal-shaped custom-cut yellow-brown diamond, which adds to the ‘ancient treasure’ feel.

Another business demonstrating a unique aesthetic is Maison Auclert, led by Marc Auclert, who specialises in contemporary mountings of antique artefacts, such as cameos and intaglios. The Diane brooch is first on our radar with a Hellenistic sardonyx intaglio fragment engraved with Artemis (Known by the Romans as Diana) dating to the third century BC. The lower half of the intaglio is filled in gold and engraved with a modern interpretation of the scene, ensuring this can be worn as a modern brooch or pendant. The Camée Théâtre ring will also be on display at TEFAF, featuring a rare Roman cameo from the first century in brown and bluish-grey agate, surrounded by 2.69 carats of blue-grey sapphires in 18k gold.

This leads us neatly to the vintage and antique jewellery pieces that will be brought to TEFAF Maastricht. Pieces we know to expect include an Imperial Mughal spinel from 1628, presented by London-based dealer Prahlad Bubbar

We can always rely on New York dealer A La Vieille Russie to showcase something special, and this TEFAF will be no exception. The business will present one-of-a-kind jewels by Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels, pieces by Fabergé and rare drawings by Art Nouveau jeweller René Lalique. The spotlight will no doubt land on a pair of Cartier gold and diamond flowerhead earrings delicately bombé in form, boasting five spiral-fluted gold petals adorned by diamond clusters. We can also imagine crowds around a rare blister pearl necklace set in platinum and decorated with diamonds, a Belle Époque articulated diamond bow brooch elegantly set in platinum, and an old mine-cut diamonds and blue enamel six-star tiara (circa 1890). Among its Fabergé treasures will be a rare ladybug brooch with red, black, and white enamel, which can be traced back to Fabergé workmaster H. Wigström, and a rare Obsidian Terrier statue with a collar crafted in gold, diamonds, and enamel.

An early cuff bracelet by Cartier is on the agenda for Marjan Sterk Fine Art Jewellery, based in Amsterdam. This 18k yellow gold and platinum Retro bracelet is designed as a yellow gold ribbon curled around a platinum ring, which is fully pavé set with approximately 6.50 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds. Many in the industry suggest that Retro jewellery from the 1930s and 1940s is growing in popularity, so it will be exciting to see such a quintessential example presented at TEFAF.

Elsewhere, there are pieces with fantastic stories and interesting provenances. A quintessential example is the Alma Tadema armlet that will be showcased by London-based antiques expert Wartski. This wraparound adornment was a gift from the Dutch painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) to his wife Laura Theresa, featuring two engraved snake head terminals with diamond-set eyes, flanked by stylised horses’ heads set with turquoise, ruby, sapphire and emerald. Interestingly, this jewel features in some of the artist’s works, including ‘The Sculpture Gallery’ painted in 1874, ‘The Roses of Heliogabulus’ (1888) and ‘The Frigidarium’ (1890).

Belgian antique and period jewellery expert Epoque Fine Jewels will present some exciting pieces at TEFAF, including a Cartier panther brooch and a beautiful example of Art Deco geometry in the form of a Chaumet bracelet. The latter is set with six engraved, baton-shaped emeralds for 14.67 carats, old European-cut diamonds, single-cut diamonds and black enamel mounted in platinum and white gold. According to the Chaumet archives, this bracelet was made in December 1930 for its Parisian boutique! There are also two extraordinary Art Nouveau pieces to seek out: an ivory, opal and enamel brooch designed by Marcel Bing depicting a woman’s face in 18k gold, and a Nymph brooch by René Lalique – part female, part butterfly – in green plique-à-jour enamel, old mine-cut and rose-cut diamonds and 18k yellow gold. We predict collectors will be clamouring for these in-demand creations!

Finally, let’s not forget Simon Teakle Fine Jewelry & Objects, which will present a beautiful selection of antique treasures, including Victorian, Georgian and 20th-century pieces by Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels and Boivin. The Connecticut-based dealer will also display pieces by Californian jewellery company Loren Nicole, led by goldsmith Loren Teetelli. Her 22k gold handmade jewellery pieces are inspired by the techniques, motifs, and lore of ancient cultures, and nothing demonstrates this better than her Viking Longship, which will be available to view for the first time at TEFAF. Hand-raised from flat sheets of gold and rock crystal, this miniature replica of a Viking warship comes apart in subtle and clever ways to form more than 30 pieces that can be worn as jewellery in various combinations. For example, the woven sail of the ship becomes a bracelet; two shields morph into earrings; further shields and rock crystal oars can be worn on a chain, and the dragon masthead forms a jabot pin. The Longship took more than 1,000 hours to create over a period of two years, including a variety of techniques such as chasing, repousse, granulation, woven chain, filigree, and more.

If this preview doesn’t make you excited to attend TEFAF Maastricht in March 2024, we don’t know what will. And remember, this is just the tip of the iceberg… there will be countless more treasures to uncover when the doors open at MECC Maastricht on March 9. Don’t miss out!