Pierre Sterlé (French, 1905–1978), Necklace, circa 1970, white and yellow gold

Audio Description

A French jeweler, Pierre Sterlé made this white and yellow gold necklace. Sterlé lived from 1905–1978 and made this necklace around 1970.

This necklace is a hoop of white gold that does not close at the center front. As it nears the front, the hoop becomes textured. An irregularly shaped white gold piece is linked to a yellow gold shape that resembles waves of the sea, stacked one upon the other with empty spaces between them. Some white gold shapes are intermingled with the yellow gold.

Label Copy

A French jeweler, Pierre Sterlé made this white and yellow gold necklace. Sterlé lived from 1905–1978 and made this necklace around 1970.

One of the earliest French jewelers to explore new styles, Pierre Sterlé opened his first boutique in Paris in 1945. But as early as 1939, he was producing pieces under his own name, designing for major jewelry houses, and taking private commissions. By the 1950s, Women’s Wear Daily and the New York Times were reporting on his work. Descriptive words like imaginative, dramatic, experimental, and contemporary were used to describe his jewelry.

Often treating gold like fabric, Sterlé was known for his braided, twisted, and knotted styles and the dynamic qualities apparent in his jewelry. Sterlé’s sense of lively fluidity is expressed in this necklace. The smooth hoop begins to vibrate with texture as it approaches the center front. The pendant is alive with nervous energy, perhaps referencing a flock of birds, fluttering leaves, or waves in the sea.

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