Orchid jewel by Philippe Wolfers
A Belgian Art Nouveau jewel in which an orchid of enamel and opal reaches out as if alive.
Wolfers made about 130 unique jewels between 1897 and 1905 and used ivory from the Belgian Congo. His jewels show Art Nouveau’s fascination with orchids and insects. Examples are in the Art & History Museum in Brussels.
Materials: Gold, plique-à-jour enamel, opal, diamonds
Manufacture: Unique pieces made in Wolfers’s own workshop in the series ‘Exemplaire unique’.
The flower in translucent enamel glowing against the light.
The sculpted, asymmetrical form.