Event Schedule

Saturday, June 26, 1 p.m.-5 p.m EDT

—Ulysses Grant Dietz, Julia’s Jewelry: Julia Dent Grant, from the Frontier to Fifth Avenue

Born on the western frontier to a prosperous slave-owning farmer, Julia Boggs Dent would marry her brother's West Point roommate and set out on a journey as unexpected as it was emblematic of America in the second half of the 19th century. Julia's peripatetic life with Ulysses S. Grant would take her from a log cabin to the White House to a mansion in New York City. All along the way, Julia would aspire to the jewelry that suited her place in the American dream.

—Elyse Zorn Karlin, Queen Marie of Romania, Extraordinary Woman, Extraordinary Jewels

Queen Marie of Romania or Marie Alexandra Victoria (1875-1938) also known as Marie of Edinburgh, was the last Queen of Romania as the wife of King Ferdinand I. She was the daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the son of Queen Victoria, and the former Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, the daughter of Emperor Alexander II. Marie was known as a great beauty, a Royal who got involved in politics, and the owner of some fabulous jewels, especially tiaras, She had an interesting relationship with the Maryhill Museum in the state of Washington which she visited in 1926.

—Jan Krulick-Belin, Collecting Jewels: Three Women's Stories

As the saying goes, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever,” and the desire to adorn one’s self with beautiful things is universal. A
magnificent jewel provides the perfect complement to the fashion of the day, but more importantly, reflects its owner’s taste, lifestyle, wealth, and status. This lecture will examine the jewelry collections once belonging to three trend-setting, 20th-century socialites--Daisy Fellowes, Barbara Hutton, and Doris Duke. 

—Megan Martinelli, From Custom Cartier to Collecting: The Spectacular Jewelry Collection of Marjorie Merriweather Post

Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973) was the one of the most influential female collectors, philanthropists, and businesspersons of the twentieth century. As the daughter of American businessperson CW Post (1854-1914), she became the largest shareholder of his company, Post Cereal Company, at 27 years old upon her father’s death. Under Post’s tutelage, the company flourished and evolved into the major conglomerate, General Foods, making her one of the wealthiest women in the country. After a move to a Fifth Avenue residence in New York in 1915, Post became a serious jewelry collector, developing a friendship with Cartier New York sales representative, Jules Glaezner. Her regular presence at glamorous philanthropic events fueled her need for fine, fashionable jewelry and her taste for objects with royal provenance. This lecture will explore her collection of fine jewelry acquired over a lifetime of a passion for distinctive craftsmanship. Particular examples from the collection will highlight Post’s studious approach to gemstones and history.

Sunday, June 27 at 1 p.m. EDT to 5:30 p.m.

—Caroline Perkowski, Suzanne Belperron: Modern, Before the World War.

In this lecture, Caroline will discuss the research behind the book, Jewelry by Suzanne Belperron, revisiting Madame Belperron`s youth and exploring the pivotal influences that helped shape her as one of the greatest jeweler designers of the 20th Century.

—Cindi Strauss with Helen Drutt, Women on the International Stage: Jewelers from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection

In 2002, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston acquired the Helen William Drutt Collection of contemporary jewelry. Drutt, a pioneering gallerist, scholar, and collector assembled the works over a 40-year period. From the very beginning she collected jewelry by women artists, whose work comprises a significant part of the collection. In this talk, Strauss will discuss these artists and their role in international jewelry. She will be joined by Helen W. Drutt English at the end of the talk for a discussion about Drutt's experiences as a leader in the field.

—Collector Karen Rotenberg, interviewed by Yvonne Markowitz

Yvonne Markowitz, Rita J. Kaplan and Susan B. Kaplan Curator Emerita of Jewelry, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston will interview Boston collector Karen Rotenberg, a former gallery owner, museum benefactor, and connoisseur of the contemporary art jewelry scene. Her interests in this area are wide-ranging and among her holdings are ornaments composed of precious metals, unusual stones, an assortment of plastics, and all things curious and zany. Karen is impeccably fashionable, delightfully upbeat, and always willing to share her thoughts on jewelry.

—Beth Wees, The Marvelous Millicent Rogers: Icon and Iconoclast

Heiress to the Standard Oil Company, Millicent Rogers (1902-1953) is most often remembered as a wealthy socialite and fashion icon, a client and muse of such influential twentieth-century designers as Charles James and Elsa Schiaparelli. The jewelry she wore was no less original, featuring work by Cartier, Boucheron, Chaumet, Verdura, Schlumberger, and René Boivin. Later in life she fell in love with the American Southwest and amassed quantities of silver and turquoise jewelry created by Native American jewelers. She also became a jeweler herself, designing and even fabricating some of her own creations. In this talk, Beth Carver Wees will explore the life and legacy of this highly intelligent, extravagant, restless, and philanthropic woman and her extraordinary sense of style.


—Bella Neyman, The Jewelry of Sah Oved

British jeweler Sah Oved’s career took a back seat to that of her eccentric partner, Mosheh Oved, an antiques dealer and proprietor of the store Cameo Corner as well as an advocate for London’s Jewish émigré community. However, Sah’s hand left an indelible mark not only on Mosheh’s work but also on British jewelry design pre-World War II. Theirs was a tale of jewelry, love, and intrigue. This is Sah's fascinating story and the speaker's quest to learn all she can about this fascinating and somewhat forgotten figure.