Angela Cumming Vintage 18K and Ruby Earrings, c. 1989
18K yellow gold vintage earrings each with 7 small cabochon circular natural rubies of Burma color, Angela Cummings.
These are cushion shaped bulbous ear clips weighing exactly 38.5 grams. Their length is just under 1.25 inches by .75 inches. The back of each earring is signed: 1989 Cummings 18K. This is the larger model - rarely found.
The earrings each have 7 natural vivid red rubies, the modernist earrings have a naturalist feel, with polished curves atop the muted gold and surrounding the rubies bezel set gives these earrings a three dimensionality.
These earrings are now for a non-pierced ear, and can be altered to accommodate a pierced lobe. In as new condition, these are a robust example of the kind of unique design for which Angela Cummings had become famous.
Originally from Austria, Cummings had studied in both Italy (Perugia) and Germany (Hanau). She graduated as a gemologist, designer and goldsmith and in the late 1960's, thomas Hoving offered her a job designing jewelry at Tiffany . Hoving had assembled quite a group with the offer of similar freedom of expression. It included Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, Donald Clafflin, Paloma Picasso, Frank Gehry and Aldo Cipullo.
Cummings designs involved the forms derived from nature: pussy willows buds as earrings, rose petals as a necklace and still others like shell forms feathers, seagulls, elm leaves and interesting vines as chains.
By the late 1970's she left Tiffany to start her own business showing in Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Her fame frew throughout the '80's and '90's with pieces that were colorful distinctive and comfortable to wear and although she later closed her jewelry business she could not stay closed. She returned to collaborate with Assael, the famous impresario of fine pearls.
All items sold are accompanied by a detailed Statement of Value by our gemologist, as well as all original gemological documentation, if specified in the listing. As always, we guarantee all of pieces to be exactly as represented. Each piece of jewelry arrives in a finely gift-wrapped presentation box.
Over the decades of our stewardship as a small but exemplary purveyor of the jeweler's art, we have strived to offer a fine and authentic selection, in excellent condition, of collectible jewels from all highly sought time periods at competitive prices and even lower prices, if possible. In the process we have had the extraordinary good fortune of meeting remarkable people - some collectors, others just extremely interesting individuals who have taken the time and effort to examine their lives and select things that tend to make them smile, or admire, or just wonder at the exciting endlessly creative and nuanced panoply of jeweled artifacts.