I
have spoken to Jewelry Historian, Curator, Author and Founder of The Adventurine, Marion Fasel, about her curated exhibit, Beautiful Creatures, at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), for our COUTURE Podcast, and I’ve read her book of the same name more than once. Nothing, however, could have prepared me for seeing the exhibit in real life. The temporary exhibit in the reimagined Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals is the first in the Hall’s new Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, and includes 104 pieces of the world’s most spectacular animal-inspired jewelry from the last 150 years, a timeframe that coincides with the opening of the museum in 1869.

With pieces sourced from jewelry archives, design firms and private collections, Beautiful Creatures includes only the animals and critters one might find in other areas of the museum, so there are no barnyard animals or dogs and cats, and only realistically depicted animals are represented (i.e. no pigs dressed in tuxedos!). Show stopping pieces include a fully flexible diamond and emerald Cartier necklace commissioned by Mexican actress, María Félix, a wall of butterflies by artists such as Suzanne Belperron, Wallace Chan and JAR, and the Étoile de Mer Brooch by Salvador Dalí. And while each individual piece is a masterpiece in its own right, the experience of the exhibit’s thoughtful and intentional curation is so much greater than the sum of its parts.

The exhibit is separated into categories of animals observed in the air, water and on land, and the jewels are not grouped together in chronological order in order to showcase the evolution of design and fabrication over time. This non-linear display also highlights the permanence of nature’s influence on artists and designers and creates a sense of wonder and delight in the experience of viewing the collection. In even less overt ways, Marion’s curation has cleverly emphasized the myriad ways in which jewelry design is a reflection of the zeitgeist and can be viewed as historic markers or a nod to personal milestones in an artist’s life.

The popularity of bird motif jewelry during the German occupation of Paris was a subtle sign of support for the resistance. While the butterfly collecting “craze” of the 19^th century contributed to the influx of bejeweled renditions of these ethereal creatures, given the date of some of Suzanne Belperron’s butterflies, Marion posits that this work may have been an expression of the freedom the designer felt upon leaving René Boivin and assuming greater autonomy at B. Herz. The prevalence of fish-themed jewelry in the 1920’s to the 1950’s may have been a reaction to rod and reel fishing popularized by Earnest Hemingway, and dragon fly jewelry came in vogue in the late 19^th century, when trade with Japan re-opened and Eastern influences infiltrated the Western psyche.

Marion was also obviously cognizant of the little kiddos who will undoubtedly come to the new Hall and the Beautiful Creatures exhibit when curating the work. She’s placed a breathtakingly realistic Tarantula Brooch by Hemmerle, circa 1995, at the eye level of a child. A delightfully expressive Owl Bracelet by Tiffany & Co. that was influenced by the macramé trend of the 1960’s is perched in a discrete corner of the “Air” display, just waiting to be discovered, and a Lion Brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels lounges on his branch of coral, languidly gazing back at you with his precious face and ruby eyes, ensuring that even the smallest visitors can take joy in the many delights of this magnificent collection.

Beautiful Creatures opens June 12 and will be on display until September 19, 2021. Reservations to visit the Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals and the Beautiful Creatures exhibit are included in a General Admissions ticket and are available here now.