Bleuet (Primary Title)
Brooch (Alternate Title)
Jean Schlumberger, French, 1907 - 1987 (Designer)
Tiffany & Company, American, founded 1853 (Manufacturer)
The imaginative and complex mounting of this brooch features diamond-encrusted ribbon tips that subtly curl around the flower's petals to decorate the jeweled face. The support and pin stem are made from platinum, a silvery white precious metal with high resistance to corrosion and great tensile strength.
Several marks appear on the back of this brooch: "Tiffany Schlumberger" (partially covered by the metal setting) indicates that Schlumberger created this design after 1956; "Made in France" specifies that it was produced in his Paris workshop; and various hallmarks, includeding a head motif, certify the purity, authenticity, and French origin of the platinum and gold. The gold star with a diamond center attached to the back of the support perhaps marked the brooch as part of Mrs. Mellon's collection, whether for symbolic or security reasons.
The Rachel Lambert Mellon Collection of Jean Schlumberger, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, February 10 - June 18, 2017
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.