Claflin A Visual History

The Life of Donald Adams Claflin (1935-1979)
A Visual History
David Webb 1957-1965
Tiffany & Co. 1965-1976
Bulgari 1976-1979

Donald Claflin Came from Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Town Center & Family Homesteads

Claflin’s New England Forbears: Prominent Abolitionist Politicians
Lee and William Claflin

Studied at Parsons/New School of Design in the 1950s
After graduating, Claflin worked in Illustration and Interior Design ….
Parsons merged with the New
School in the 1950s
Source: Parsons/New School

Joined David Webb in 1957
With a possible (unconfirmed) stint afterward designing at Van Cleef & Arpels…
So far, Claflin’s
work during his
eight year career
at David Webb is
unattributed…
…while his
tenure at Van
Cleef & Arpels is
unconfirmed.

Claflin arrives at Tiffany & Co. ~ 1965
Hired by Walter Hoving (left) to work for Jean Schlumberger, Head of Jewelry Design (right)

Source: The San Francisco Examiner · 28 Sep 1969,
“Mr Platt has Rocks in His Head”
DONALD CLAFLIN AT TIFFANY & CO.
…and for Harry Platt, Chief Gemologist, Great-grandson of Louis Tiffany
Platt with Audrey Hepburn, for Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Donald Claflin at Tiffany & Co.
Early Collection: A Series of Figures from Childhood Literature and
Imagination ~ 1966
1966 Advertisement for Claflin’s
Animal Jewels
Source: Bejewelled by Tiffany,
1837-1987, by Clare Phillips

…. perhaps recalling his time as an illustrator
Humpty Dumpty
Nursery Rhymes and Alice Through the
Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
Source: Fortuna Auctions
Stuart Little
E.B. White
Source Doyle Auctions
The Walrus
Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Source: Christie’s

…and inspired by Children’s Literature…
Parrot in Hat and Pantaloons
Possibly inspired by Captain Flint,
Treasure Island
Source: Sotheby’s
Running Squirrel
Possibly inspired by Squirrel Nutkin,
Beatrice Potter
Source: Sotheby’s

Mr. Toad of Toad Hall,
from The Wind in the Willows, c. 1968
…and reading to nephews and nieces

A Series of American Indian Tribal Masks inspired by an Exhibition ~ January 1967
American Indian Totem Clip
Source: Sotheby’s
Source: New York Times, January 30
1967

A Series of American Indian Tribal Masks inspired by an Exhibition ~ January 1967
Source: Tiffany
Jewels, by John
Loring

Donald Claflin at Tiffany &
Co.
An Early Jeweled Sea Creature ~ 1967
Source: “SEA
DEEP JEWELS”
Harper's Bazaar,
April 1967

One of a Series of Acrobats on Hardstone Stands~ October 1967
Acrobat on Stand (lower left)
San Francisco Examiner, October 3, 1967
Acrobat

The Full Series of Acrobats ~ 1967
Source: The New Yorker,
December 1967

Donald Claflin for Tiffany & Co.
Jewels inspired by Ancient Peruvian Figural Art ~ 1967
Source: Tiffany & Co.
1967-1968 Blue Book

Possible Inspiration: Images of Devotional Figrues from Brooklyn Museum
Exhibition “Ancient Art of America” ~ November 1966-March 1967
Source: The
Brooklyn
Museum

Jewels inspired by Ancient Peruvian Art ~ 1967
Photo Credit:
Sotheby’s
Photo Credit:
Christie’s
Photo Credit:
Christie’s

Source: 1967 Women’s
Wear Daily, Vol. 115, Iss.
224, (Nov 17, 1967): 25.
Donald Claflin for Tiffany &
Co.
Diamond Pets ~ November 1967

Harry Platt selects Claflin to design all jewelry with tazanite, the firm’s new gemstone ~ 1967
Claflin compares
the flower brooch
to his original
design
Souce: LA Times
10 November
1968, p. 148
Tanzanite, Yellow
Diamond,
Diamond and
Emerald Brooch,
Estate of Mrs.
Bobst
Souce: Sotheby’s

A Lapis and Diamond Bracelet/Collar ~ 1968
From: “Beauty- Straight
Hair - Cut and Jumping
To A Light Curve”,
Vogue (Oct 1, 1969)

Sea Creatures ~ 1968
Turtle and Babies Brooch, with articulated head and tail

Sea Creatures ~ 1968
Carved Coral and Diamond
Crab Brooch
Source: “YOU CAN ALWAYS
TELL A GEMINI” by Suzy,
Harper’s Bazaar, October 1968

Basilisk Brooch
Source:
Sotheby’s
Dragon Brooch, c. 1967-8, Bejewlled by
Tiffany Exhibition,
Gilbert Collection 2006
Source: Tiffany & Co.
Dragons, Basilisks & Gargoyles ~ 1968
Dragon Brooch
Source: Primavera Gallery

Photo Credit:
Sotheby’s
Photo Credit: Bobst Collection,
Sotheby’s
Dragons, Basilisks & Gargoyles ~ 1968

New Trend: The “Bodyjewel” with Dragons, Basilisks & Gargoyles ~1968
From “Princess Ira
Fürstenberg
Romantic Attitudes”
Body Chain with
Seven Jeweled
Creatures (Limited
edition)
Source: Vogue; New
York (Mar 1, 1968).

Whimsical Bracelet of Strawberries with Gold Seeds ~ 1968
Coral, Diamond and
Enamel Bracelet, circa
Carved coral
strawberries with gold
seeds
Photo Credit:
Christie’s

Claflin’s Hand - Design Drawing for Convertible Beetle and Flower Bracelet ~ 1968
Source: Rauner

Convertible Diamond, Enamel and Gem-set
Necklace with removable/subsitutable clips
Source: THE PARAPSYCHOLOGY OF
BEAUTY Harper's Bazaar; (Oct 1968)- 184-185.
An elaborate convertible necklace/brooches ~1968
A similar convertible
ladybug and flower
clip/necklace, with
substitutable diamond
leaves
Source: The Los Angeles
Times · 10 Nov 1968, p
49

Source: “Something New at Tiffany’s”, St. Cloud Times (Minnesota) · 7 Oct 1968,
Sketches of Claflin jewels from Tiffany’s launch of tanzanite, 1968

Lapis Bracelet (left) & Protegée Sonia Younis’ Diamond Butterfly Clips (Right) ~ 1969
Source: “Fashion
- Mainbocher”,
Vogue: New
York, Nov 15,

A “Bodyjewel” of Turquoise, Coral and Lapis ~ 1969
Source: “Body
Blazonry”, Vogue: New
York June 1, 1969

Source: “Gem with Intrigue in its Past”: 1969 Nov 12 The New York Times, featuring the new Tiffany Tanzanite
Collection, “all of it designed by Donald Claflin”
Platt entrusts all designs for Tiffany’s launch of tanzanite jewels to Clalfin ~ 1969

LEFT: Donald Claflin (left) with Harry Platt,
Tiffany & Co. Chief Gemologist and Vice
President
RIGHT: Three of Claflin’s Enamel, Skin and
Gem-set Bracelet Designs Inspired by
Metalwork of the Topkapi Museum, Istanbul
(see color images on following pages)
Source: “Diamonds at the Supermarket”,
Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New
York) · 29 Nov 1968Source: “Diamonds for
the Supermarket”, Democrat and Chronicle
(Rochester, New York) · 29 Nov 1968
Claflin listens to what women want: “Diamonds for the supermarket” - 1968

Red Python Bracelet
with Lapis, Turquoise,
Coral and Diamond
Clip
Source: “Brilliant: New
Word of Mouth”
Vogue; New York (Mar
1, 1969).
Claflin listens to what women want: “Diamonds for the supermarket” - 1968

Source: “THE PERFUME PLOY”
Harper's Bazaar; New York,
November 1969
Another Vision of the Red Python Clip Bracelet - 1969
Red Python Convertible Clip
Bracelet (far left): “The golden
medallions flicked with coral,
diamonds and cabochon emerald,
detach naturally as a snake
shedding its skin”

Donald Claflin
Imaginative Jewels with Moving Parts ~ 1969
Turtle Ring, with articulated head and tail

A Distinctive Signature Sometimes Seen on Early Jewelry~ 1969
Lapis and Diamond Ram’s Head Bypass Ring

Source: “What’s Your Eye-Q?”, Harper’s Bazaar November 1969
Co.
Abstract Design Jewels - 1969
“A swirling pinwheel of
diamonds with an
emerald center”

Claflin’s Tanzanite Jewels Capture High Society’s Imagination - 1969
Princess Eleanore Hohenlohe wears a
Tiffany tanzanite jewel on a velvet
choker
Source: The Los Angeles Times· 4
Dec 1969 · Page 67

“The Crisscross Ring”, 1970, with tanzanite and
other gems, from the Tiffany High Jewelry collection
Source: Tiffany Ad, 1970 (purchased from H-prints)
….and Tiffany launches Claflin’s new “Crisscross” Ring ~ 1970
A Tanzanite &
Diamond
“Crisscross Ring”
Source: Bonham’s

Design for the Crisscross Ring ~ c. 1970
Chalk and Gouache Design for the
“Criscross” Ring Setting
Source: Rauner

Source: Mildred Barnes Bliss: Washington Art Patron Had Jewelry Collection” The Sacramento
Bee (Sacramento, California) · 26 Jan 1970
Bliss ‘Gift to the The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Accession Number: 1975.366; Material: Gold, sapphires, emeralds, topaz, diamonds and amethyst
The press consults Claflin about the Jewels of the Mildred Barnes Bliss Collection ~ 1970
Claflin selects this extraordinary French feather brooch,
early 20th century, now at the The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, as the standout jewel in her collection

Co.
Claflin’s Pop Art Inspired Jewelry - 1970
18K Gold and Diamond “LOVE” Ring
Sounce: Los Angeles Times , 2 November 1970

His work figures prominently in the Blue Books ~ 1969-1970, 1970-1971
Source: Tiffany Blue Books 1969-1970 and 1970-1971

Claflin continues to innovate: The New Tiffany Setting ~ 1971
Source: San Francisco Examiner,
January 17, 1971
1971 Donald Claflin’s
New Engagement
Ring Design
Source: The
News-Palladium,
Benton Harbor
Michigan, May 18,
1971

“Bridal Fantasy at Diamond Dinner”
Source: The Herald-News 16 Jun 1971, Wed · Page 15:
“Bracelet Ring and Earrings in ‘Criss-cross design, in
the new Tiffany setting created by Donald Claflin”
The “Crisscross” is featured in bridal jewelry coverage ~ 1971

Kingfisher Brooch, c. 1971
More Designs of Humor and “Whimsy” ~ 1971
Source: “The Whimsy at Tiffany’s: The San Francisco
Examiner (San Francisco, California) · 11 Oct 1971

A Year of Innovation ~ Introducing Claflin’s “flexible finger bracelet” ~ 1971
Source: The
New Yorker,
November 27,
1971

Claflin captures 1970s New York: From the HardWear Collection ~ 1971
“Carry the Ball” from
Harpers Bazaar, October,
1971,Vol. 104, Iss. 3119
p. 80
“At Maximum Security”: A
Ball and Chain Bracelet with
Padlock by Donald Claflin
1921Iss. 3119 p. 80

“Engagement Rings Up With Times”
Featuring Claflin Protegée Sonia Younis
wearing a Claflin ‘Bracelet Ring”, from
Austin American-Statesman (Austin,
Texas) · 11 Oct 1972
A rare image of Claflin Protegée Sonia Younis, wearing Claflin’s new design,
the ultra-flexible “Bracelet Ring” ~ 1972

From: “Tiffany Forecasts
Snowflakes for Christmas: Vogue;
New York (Dec 1, 1972)
Snowflake Rings ~ December 1972

“Tiffany Has Bypassed the Knuckle: Tiffany’s New Clip on Rings
Have Ingeniuos Hinges”, from Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois)
· 15 Oct 1973, Mon · Page 53
Claflin’s Further Ring Innovations: “The Clip-on Ring”, with “ingenious
hinges” ~ 1973

Claflin’s Work for the Safari Collection ~ 1973
Bangle with Elephant Foot Terminals
From: Harper’s Bazaar,
November 1973

Later Designs, November 1973
Tanzanite, Diamond and
Pearl Choker, and Pearl
Swags
From:
“10 FABULOUS
PRESENTS SOMEONE
SHOULD BUY FOR
YOU”, Harper’s Bazaar,

“The Sectional Flexible Bracelet”
Source: Vogue, December 1973
Claflin’s Further Bracelet Innovations ~ 1973

An Adjustable Bolo Necklace & Earpendants, The Blue Books ~ 1974-1975
Source: Bejewelled By
Tiffany, by Clare Phillips

Exhibition Invitation
Source: The Miami
Herald· 28 Mar 1976
Tiffany & Co.: A New Line Up
The arrival of Elsa Peretti - 1976

Source: “Jewelry’s New Dazzle:“· from Newsweek 4 April 1977
Tiffany & Co. Switches Gears
The arrival of Elsa Peretti - Tiffany looks for a New Aesthetic

Donald Claflin at Bulgari
After a Chance Meeting with Nicola Bulgari - Claflin Joins as Designer, 1976
Source: Fort Worth
Star-Telegram (Texas) ·
13 Nov 1977· P. 134
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) · 13 Nov 1977, Sun · Page 134

Source: “All That
Glitters May Be
Claflin’s”, from the
syndicated column
“Inside Fashion” by
Eugenia Sheppard,
from The Times
(Shreveport,
Louisiana) ·
5 Dec 1976
Creations in a New Idiom~ 1976

Source: “Donald Claflin Coins a Trend”: The Boston Globe (Massachusetts) · 28 Jan 1977
Coin Jewelry for Bulgari ~ 1976

From “Wearable Jewelry is
Investors’ Choice Today”, The
Tennessean (Nashville,
Tennessee) · 15 May 1977, Sun
Jewelry Innovations ~ 1977
“New double rings
that pull apart”

From “Wearable Jewelry is
Investors’ Choice Today”, The
Tennessean (Nashville) · 15
May 1977, Sun
Jewelry Innovations ~ 1977
The English
Monarchs’
Coin Necklace

Bulgari, Diamond Earrings, Each designed
as a Hoop Set with Baguette Dianonds, c.
1980s
Attributed to Donald Claflin
Photo Credit: Sotheby’s
(Claflin’s )“method of perpendicularly set
baguettes results in some of the most innovative
pieces of jewelry in the world today”
-from Cissy Stewart’s “Social Column", Dallas, Fort Worth
Star-Telegram 13 Nov 1977p 134
Jewelry Innovations:“Vertical Baguettes”, attributed to Claflin ~ 1977

Donald Claflin
Passes Away Suddenly, without Explanation, in 1979

Donald Claflin Memorial
Endowed by a Friend: The Donald Claflin Jewelry Studio, Hopkins Center for the Arts,
Dartmouth College

Claflin A Visual History

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