CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Paul Gillot, jeweler, possibly aboard the S.S. Normandie (undated photo from the Bain picture agency, Library of Congress); Lot 59: Gillot & Company fancy yellow diamond ring consigned for auction at Christie's New York; production notes on a platinum and gold ring mounting sold to Paul Gillot in 1920, from Gustav Manz's costbook archived at Winterthur Museum
Paul Gillot began his career as a draughtsman in Paris (recognized by Henri Vever, no less) before he was hired to design jewelry for Marcus & Co in NYC in 1902. Gustav Manz—an independent maker who produced special orders for Marcus, F. Walter Lawrence, Tiffany & Co. and other firms—was likely one of his first calls.
After joining his brother Adrien (a commercial artist) to
fight for France in 1915, Gillot returned to NYC where he found partners and
financing to go out on his own as a merchant of fancy goods with a storefront
on Union Square. He resumed his association with Manz, with whom he shared a
connection to Sarah Bernhardt. Manz had also worked in Paris and made a bracelet for
the actress.
A golden oak branch presented to Marshal Joffre by a delegation of American Citizens organized by jeweler Paul Gillot in 1917. Gillot designed the tribute and dedication "Au Heros de la Marne" but likely delegated the execution to a master carver such as Gustav Manz.
A fancy yellow diamond ring, circa 1925, marked Gillot & Co will be sold at Christie's New York sale, on December 5, 2018. The reserve is 900,000 - 1,200,000. We'll definitely try to see the fancy oval-cut yellow before the auction. And toast M. Gillot with a glass of pastis after...
A golden oak branch presented to Marshal Joffre by a delegation of American Citizens organized by jeweler Paul Gillot in 1917. Gillot designed the tribute and dedication "Au Heros de la Marne" but likely delegated the execution to a master carver such as Gustav Manz.
IMAGE FROM ART WORLD, OCTOBER 1917
Among the commissions Manz executed for Gillot was a gold bison
fob presented to journalist and French diplomat Marcel Knecht. Gillot himself served as unofficial ambassador for the
French expat community in America, organizing laurels for dignitaries while
selling jewelry from his boutique near La Maison Francaise at Rockefeller
Center and perhaps arranging fresh mountings for stones spirited out of Europe
between the wars. Gillot built a collection of colored diamonds in100-plus different shades. He died in 1949, at age 78, after falling down the stairs of his home in Hastings, leaving his Dutch-born wife and a niece in France.A fancy yellow diamond ring, circa 1925, marked Gillot & Co will be sold at Christie's New York sale, on December 5, 2018. The reserve is 900,000 - 1,200,000. We'll definitely try to see the fancy oval-cut yellow before the auction. And toast M. Gillot with a glass of pastis after...
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