The Different Categories of Quartz: Suzanne Belperron's Mineral Palette

Quartz, a mineral family with many faces, occupies a central place in the work of Suzanne Belperron. Limpid rock crystal, amber smoky quartz, rutilated quartz with golden inclusions, agate with mysterious bands or chalcedony with milky hues: each variety becomes a noble material in her hands, elevated through bold combinations with precious stones.

Rutilated Quartz: Golden Fibres Captured in Light

Suzanne Belperron was particularly fond of rutilated quartz, this colourless variety with inclusions of soft golden fibres. The number and arrangement of these filaments give each stone an absolutely unique character, making each jewel a truly singular piece.

These golden needles, trapped within the transparency of the quartz, create fascinating plays of light. The designer exploited this particularity to conceive pieces where nature itself seems to have drawn a precious pattern, reinforcing her conviction that beauty lies in the unique character of each stone rather than in standardised perfection.

Agate: Infinite Variations of an Ancient Stone

Agate belongs to the family of microcrystalline quartz. Its particular geological formation gives it concentric bands of varied colours, creating natural patterns of great beauty. Suzanne Belperron appreciated this stone for its diversity of hues and the possibility of cutting it into generous shapes.

White Agate and Blond Agate

In her creations, the jeweller favoured white agate and blond agate for their softness and luminosity. These varieties can be found in her iconic parures: bracelets composed of several rows of agate beads, brooches set with diamonds, rings adorned with black pearls, and Feuille (leaf) ear clips in agate and diamonds.

Blond agate, with its golden reflections, pairs perfectly with sapphires and diamonds, creating chromatic contrasts characteristic of the Belperron style.

Carnelian: The Red-Orange Glow

Carnelian, another member of the quartz family, seduced Suzanne Belperron with its intense red-orange colour. This stone, used since Antiquity for seals and jewellery, found new life in her creations. She notably combined it with cabochon emeralds in cufflinks of understated elegance, designed for a refined male clientele.

Chalcedony: Translucent Softness

Chalcedony, a variety of quartz with soft, milky hues, occupies a privileged place in Suzanne Belperron's repertoire. Its translucency and its nuances from sky blue to pearl grey allow for creations of great sophistication.

Suzanne Belperron's chalcedony creations regularly appeared in the greatest fashion magazines. As early as January 1934, Vogue featured on its cover a model wearing a brooch and bracelet in blue chalcedony, testifying to the immediate success of these pieces among the international elite.

Cover of American Vogue, January 1934, featuring blue chalcedony jewellery by Suzanne Belperron.

The Duchess of Windsor's Parure

Blue chalcedony became one of the signatures of the Maison Herz-Belperron. The famous parure created for the Duchess of Windsor bears witness to this: a necklace of two rows of blue chalcedony beads linked by a flower clasp with a heart of cabochon sapphires and diamonds, accompanied by open bracelets and matching Feuille (leaf) earrings.

Iconic Creations

Among the iconic pieces in chalcedony are:

• Tonneau (barrel) clips in faceted chalcedony, set with cabochon sapphires or pearls, edged in black enamel
• Stylised Grappe de raisin (bunch of grapes) clips in chalcedony and diamonds
• An important step-cut chalcedony lapel clip, enhanced with a double row of cabochon sapphires mounted in platinum
• A double-row necklace of blue chalcedony beads with a barrel-shaped clasp encrusted with cabochon sapphires

Smoky Quartz: The Elegance of Cognac Hues

Smoky quartz, named for its "cognac" hue, constitutes another of Suzanne Belperron's favourite stones. She used it notably in her famous Quartiers de mandarine (mandarin segments) bracelet: a ribbed smoky quartz, edged on each side with a line of diamonds mounted in platinum, reproduced in French Vogue in November 1933.

This variety of quartz allows for creations of great modernity, where the amber transparency of the stone contrasts with the brilliance of diamonds.

The Importance of the Archives for Authentication

A tricky problem arises for all jewellery created in hard stones such as rock crystal, smoky quartz, agate and chalcedony: these favoured materials make it impossible to apply any hallmark. Only the archives rediscovered in 2007 by Olivier Baroin make it possible to trace the original order of the jewel and to identify with certainty the authentic creations of Suzanne Belperron.

This difficulty of traceability explains the crucial importance of the archives in authenticating quartz pieces. For although Belperron's style is recognisable she declared "My style is my signature" the ease with which hard stone pieces can be reproduced makes the work of experts particularly delicate.

A Bold Artistic Vision

By exploring all categories of quartz, Suzanne Belperron affirmed her deep conviction: the value of a jewel lies not in the price of its materials, but in the harmony of their combination and the virtuosity of their execution. This revolutionary approach continues to inspire collectors and contemporary designers, making quartz pieces among the most sought-after at international auctions.