Pierre Touraine Jewelry
Photo: Robert Weldon/GIA, Gift of Touraine Family Trust
2.61 total carat weight of brown diamonds, 17.83 total carat weight of diamonds, 18K yellow gold, platinum and Native American pottery were used in this pendant (8 cm across), known as "The Acoma Jewel."
Exhibit Description
This unique collection features Southwest inspired jewelry designed by Pierre Touraine. During the 1930s, Pierre Touraine achieved fame by creating unique, award-winning pieces for European nobility and celebrities. After moving to the United States in 1938, he worked for Harry Winston in New York before starting his own business in Los Angeles. In later years, he taught European jewelry manufacturing techniques to Native American craftsmen. His love of the landscape and culture of the American Southwest became the inspiration for the design and materials of his most remarkable pieces, like the pieces featured in this exhibit.
