Raymond Yard and the Great American Art Deco Jewelers

When people think of Art Deco jewelry they usually think of Paris. New York had its own great jewelers in the 1920s and 1930s, and their work is some of the finest of the period. Raymond Yard is a good place to start, because his story says a lot about how American jewelry was made and sold at the time.

Raymond Yard

Raymond Yard began his career as a doorman at Marcus & Co., one of the leading Fifth Avenue jewelers. He worked his way up inside the firm and in 1922 opened his own business in New York. He kept it small and private, working by appointment for a short list of very wealthy families. The Rockefellers were among his most loyal clients.

Yard's work is known for excellent platinum and diamond craftsmanship, carefully matched colored stones, and a playful side that shows up in his animal and figural brooches. His Art Deco pieces are precise and well proportioned, and the quality of the setting work is often visible even on the back.

The other names to know

Yard worked alongside a group of New York firms whose signed Deco pieces are highly collected today:

• Oscar Heyman Brothers. Founded in New York in 1912, the firm made jewelry for many famous retailers, often without its own name on the front of the shop. Heyman pieces carry a maker's mark and are prized for their stone quality and setting. See our Oscar Heyman Brothers collection.
• Marcus & Co. The Fifth Avenue firm where Yard got his start, known for Art Nouveau enamel work before moving into Deco designs.
• Tiffany & Co. Tiffany's Art Deco platinum pieces are well made and signed, and they remain popular with collectors. Browse Tiffany & Co.
• Cartier New York. Cartier's American branch made many of its own pieces in the period, often marked to show they were made in New York. See Cartier, and our article on the eras of Cartier.

What American Deco looks like

Most fine Deco jewelry was made in platinum, which is strong enough to hold stones with very little metal showing. Look for geometric outlines, calibré-cut sapphires, rubies and emeralds cut to fit their settings exactly, and old European and early round brilliant diamonds. Carved colored stones, often called "tutti frutti," were also popular, set among diamonds in floral designs.

For more on telling the periods apart, read how to date vintage jewelry by its design.

What to look for when buying

• Signature and maker's mark: signed pieces are worth more, so check that the mark is consistent with the maker and period. Our guide to what "signed" means explains why.
• Original stones: calibré stones sometimes chip and get replaced over the years. Replacements are common and acceptable, but they should be disclosed.
• Condition of the platinum: look closely at prongs, millegrain edges and any hinges or clasps for wear.
• Original box: a maker's box adds to the history of the piece and to its value.

From our collection

We currently have a Raymond Yard tutti frutti basket brooch with carved sapphires and rubies, in its original Raymond Yard box, and a Raymond Yard sapphire and diamond ring in platinum. You can see many more pieces from the period in our vintage jewelry collection. To look at any of them up close, book a private viewing at our gallery in Rockefeller Center, a short walk from where many of these jewelers once worked.