Jean Schlumberger was arguably one of the most influential and acclaimed jewelry designers of the 20th century. His exquisite, complex works of art were custom-designed for heiresses and socialites, as well as icons of the fashion and entertainment industries such as Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland and Audrey Hepburn.

Through Tuesday, a collection of his work is available for viewing at Tiffany & Co.'s Waikiki store. Some of the jewels in the collection are archival and one of a kind (not for sale), while others are reproductions from Schlumberger's originals, crafted by contemporary Tiffany artists (these are for sale).

Schlumberger was a jeweler in Paris until he joined Tiffany & Co. in 1956. "It was a terrific fit because Tiffany is such an American company, and to add the flair of a French fashion jeweler was so exciting," said Pierce MacGuire, director of the Schlumberger collection and archives, who brought the collection to Honolulu.

The mid- to late-20th century was a time of change in the world of jewelry. Strict formality was giving way to imaginative and decorative design, MacGuire said. While fine jewelry had in previous centuries been reserved for royalty or the extremely wealthy, the new modern, youthful and sometimes whimsical look embodied in the work of designers such as Schlumberger had more mass appeal.

MacGuire was a young man managing the stationary department at Tiffany in New York when he met Schlumberger.

"He had an office across the hall. He was a soft-spoken, formal, private, intellectual man with extraordinary imagination," MacGuire said.

Johnny, as everyone called him, sat quietly and sketched his designs. When Schlumberger was asked how his ideas came to him, he said they came to him "at pencil point."

While his sketches were, by nature of the medium, one-dimensional, he always thought in three dimensions. His pieces are characterized by movement, asymmetry and an uncanny sense of being alive, especially when worn.

NATURE TO MYTHOLOGY

"Joie de Vivre" showcases many of Schlumberger's magical, whimsical designs. He artfully interpreted many of the aspects of nature he loved: birds in flight, parrots, flowers, elephants, fish, vines, even jellyfish.

Seldom opting for enormous gemstones, he preferred sculpting with smaller stones in unusual combinations such as yellow-faceted diamonds with white diamonds and 18-karat gold in the imaginative "Dahlia Hidden Watch." Each dahlia is different; the timepiece is cleverly concealed under the clear diamond one.

The "Leaves and Buds" necklace, an archival piece from 1960, is made of 715 diamonds and pear-shaped amethyst drops suspended from platinum leaves. Some of the diamonds are embedded into the amethysts to create the delicate buds.

In a departure from the use of smaller gems, Schlumberger created "Bird on a Rock," a glamorous brooch featuring a little diamond bird perched on an emerald-cut 106.94-carat aquamarine.

Exquisite Paillonne enamel was another Schlumberger signature, and he often is credited with reviving the passion for enamel in the 20th century. He found a family in the Pyrenees Mountains who could create enamel to his exacting standards; Tiffany is working with the same family today. He often combined enamel with gold and gemstones for an unusual take on a classic bangle or earring.

Schlumberger also appreciated mythology and was inspired by Pegasus, unicorns, the Little Prince and mystical creatures of the sea.

He had a passion for travel, especially to the Far East, and traveled yearly to Delhi, Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong or Manila.

Another of the pieces in Honolulu is the "Trophee," commissioned in 1941 by Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor of Vogue magazine. The 18-karat gold and platinum clip symbolizes bravery and chivalry, with a warrior's chain-mail vest in round-cut diamonds, a ruby shield and blue enamel spear.

Vreeland was a great admirer of Schlumberger's. She wrote: "He knows the secrets of the sea, of the woods and of the vineyard. They are simple and natural worlds, beautiful and varied. He prefers them to the concrete and hard worlds built by other men. Ideas blossom very quickly, and then they are very painstakingly realized and evolved. His many harvests of thought go on and on, and the origins emanate from things as simple as a golden bluebell. Like a positive parent he gives love at the moment of creation, bowing to the beautiful things that he originates."

OBJETS D'ART

In addition to jewelry, Schlumberger created objets d'art such as the "Shrimp Basket Minaudiere" (1956), woven in gold wire in the same style employed by Asian basket weavers. The piece, also on view in Waikiki, was commissioned by New York socialite Lyn Revson, wife of the founder of Revlon cosmetics. Her initials appear in circular-cut diamonds on top of the little basket.

The "Poisson" cigarette lighter was all the rage in France's fashion world in 1938. The articulated 18-karat gold fish can sit on his tail. His head opens to reveal a lighter. One eye is a ruby, the other an aquamarine.

Schlumberger also created a gold compact inspired by the turbans worn in Guadeloupe, where he had a home. The center of the compact has 53 sapphires and eight emeralds, surrounded by a gold "cushion."

"Joie de Vivre" offers Islanders an opportunity to see, up close and personal, some of the iconic jewels of the 20th century by a designer whose legacy lives on.

Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.