When we think of Art Nouveau Jewellery or Art Nouveau Glass the first name that comes to mind
is Rene Lalique.

Although Lalique was primarily a Glass Designer he was equally known for his beautiful Jewels.

He is particularly renowned for his designs of Vases,Chandeliers,perfume bottles and jewellery.

From his birth Ay in Marne,France in 1860, he loved nature and in his early teens he began to paint
He love natural History and the flowing forms of nature
Later this love of nature became one of his trademarks because of his unique style..

Rene studied drawing and design at the Colege Turgot.

His mother realised how much he loved painting and design and apprenticed him to Louis Aucoc a major Jeweller in Paris.

He also studied at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in the evenings and subsequently studied at Sydenham College in London England at a very fortunate time.

During his holidays back in Ay he drew sketches of nature and wildlife and this influenced his work throughout his life.

England was the the very centre of the Arts and Crafts movement and he was inspired not only by the artisits of that movement but also by what he saw at the Crystal Palace Exhibition.

In 1880 he returned to Paris where he studied Jewellery manufacturing and then sculpture under Justin Lequien at the Ecole Bernard Palissy.

This time influenced his later work as much of Palissy Pottery was relief decorated and had realistically modelled fish,lizards,snakes and plants.

From this background of Art and Design, he evolved flowing and often erotic designs and the influence of Palissy is shown in his vases
such as the Sauterelles and Martin Pecheurs designs .

His most famous single work is probably the Perruches bowl from the 1920s which had a frieze of beautiful moulded parakeets on Opalescent Glass.

In later years he became famous not only for art nouveau Glass but also for Art Nouveau Jewellery.
He became the most famous jeweller in Paris and supplied the Crowned Heads of Europe withjewellery and trinkets in the Art Nouveau Style.
His friendship with the famous actresss Sarah Bernhardt introduced him to a huge range of highly fashionable clients including the Oil Mogul Nubar Gulbenkian who became Renes major Patron