René Lalique: The Man Who Changed Art Nouveau Jewelry

René Lalique changed the idea of what jewelry could be. At the height of the Belle Époque, when precious stones often determined the value of a jewel, Lalique turned instead to horn, glass, enamel, semi-precious stones, sculpted gold, and unconventional combinations of materials. What mattered was not simply expense, but imagination. His dragonflies, serpents, orchids, insects, mysterious women, and fantastical creatures helped define Art Nouveau jewelry — before he made another extraordinary transformation and became one of the defining figures of Art Deco glass. This video explores the work of René Lalique from his revolutionary jewelry of the late 19th century to the glass designs that made his name internationally famous. We look at his fascination with nature, symbolism and Japonism; his experiments with materials and techniques; his designs for figures such as Sarah Bernhardt; and the extraordinary collection assembled by Calouste Gulbenkian. Lalique’s career also raises a larger question about luxury. Does an object become precious because of the materials from which it is made — or because of the imagination of the person who made it? Lalique repeatedly chose artistic invention over conventional displays of wealth, transforming materials that traditional jewelers considered secondary into objects that are now preserved in major museum collections. From Art Nouveau jewelry to Art Deco glass, this is the story of a designer who did not simply create beautiful objects