Press Release

More is More: Tony Duquette & Hutton Wilkinson Jewelry to Go On Exhibit

"Floral Wreath" is made of citrine, tourmanline, cultured mabe pearl, and 14K gold. Designed for the Duchess of Windsor.
Copyright GIA
“Floral Wreath” Necklace. The Duchess of Windsor-style necklace is made of citrine, tourmaline and mabe pearl set in 18K gold. Following the 1951 exhibit at the Louvre, the Duchess of Windsor commissioned Duquette to make a gold wreath of vines and flowers, which she often wore to evening events. Prior to the debut of this necklace, it was customary to wear only platinum after 5 p.m.

Iconic pieces to be featured at GIA’s World Headquarters in California

CARLSBAD, Calif. – July 16, 2013 – More than fifty emblematic jewelry creations by Hollywood design legends Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson make up the duos’ first-ever all-jewelry exhibit, “More is More: Tony Duquette - Hutton Wilkinson Jewelry,” which debuts on Oct. 10 at GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) world headquarters in Carlsbad, CA. The acclaimed body of work, which will be on display through March 2014, embraces a wide variety of styles, periods and palettes often showcasing unusual gemstones paired with rare materials in whimsical designs.

“Duquette and Wilkinson’s jewelry make a show-stopping statement. Someone wearing these pieces would not go unnoticed,” said Terri Ottaway, curator of the GIA Museum. “It is amazing to see the unusual gemstone choices they made – and astonishing to see how well these unconventional materials work together.”

Duquette – the first and only American to be honored with a one-man show at the Louvre in Paris – worked with business partner and design collaborator Wilkinson for more than 30 years prior to his death in 1999. The Duchess of Windsor, Doris Duke, Buddy Rogers, J. Paul Getty and Elizabeth Arden were among their many famous clients. Their bold and theatrical jewelry designs draw inspiration from their notable work as costume and set designers during the Golden Age of Hollywood. “If it’s not fabulous, it’s meaningless,” Wilkinson has said of their design aesthetic.

“They chose color for inspiration rather than searching for perfection in the gems,” Larry Larson, a gemology instructor at GIA, added. “They always seemed to go for strength rather than the merely pretty.”

Wilkinson continues to create pieces for the “Tony Duquette Collection” using their favorite materials such as malachite, pearls, emerald and coral. Wilkinson describes these jewelry designs as bold, theatrical, extravagant, Byzantine and sometimes even barbaric.

Pieces exhibited are on loan from personal collectors and The Anthony and Elizabeth Duquette Foundation for the Living Arts. “More is More: Tony Duquette - Hutton Wilkinson Jewelry” will be on display from Oct. 10, 2013 through March 2014. For more details, visit GIA’s website or call 800-421-7250.

About GIA

An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight in the early 1950s and in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world.

Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism.