Gilbert Albert (Swiss, 1930–2019), Necklace and Ring, 1960s, gold, moldavite, pearls, diamonds

Audio Description

Made by Swiss jeweler Gilbert Albert who lived from 1930–2019, this necklace and ring were made in the 1960s.

This necklace has a semi-rigid yellow gold hoop that surrounds the neck and is textured. The long pendant is made up of three band-like, irregularly shaped pieces of dark green, glass-like material called moldavite. Between them and at the bottom of the third piece are variously shaped strands of gold and long freshwater pearls that are placed randomly among the gold strands. The ring has a piece of moldavite as the center stone. Small, faceted diamonds sit on one side; on the other is a misshapen pearl. The ring itself is made of variously shaped strands of textured yellow gold.

Label Copy

Made by Swiss jeweler Gilbert Albert who lived from 1930–2019, this necklace and ring were made in the 1960s.

One of the most innovative jewelers of his time, Gilbert Albert was known for using unusual materials in his work. He was inspired by natural forms and transformed unexpected objects such as scarab beetles, lava rocks, animal fur, and fossilized creatures into unique shapes with an inherent organic quality. Albert combined familiar elements with the rare, effortlessly mixing a seashell, for instance, with gold, emeralds, and diamonds.

This necklace and ring incorporate pieces of dark green moldavite—a glass-like material formed by a meteorite impact in central Europe approximately 15 million years ago. Albert used this unlikely and fragile material in its pure mode, combining it with strands of gold and long, misshapen pearls. Similarly, René Lalique—a French Art Nouveau artist-jeweler—used molded glass and other unconventional materials in his work. But Albert takes the concept a step further, conveying a sense of mystery associated with the extraterrestrial.

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