Histoire de Charlton & Co : Fondé en 1909 fut probablement la plus reconnue pour ses richesses en art deco, a connu la splendeur de l’époque 1920 a NEW YORD et sa réputation fut garantie par un notable designer de bijoux français et renforcée par…. EDWARD PRINCE DE GALLES…. Charlton & Co fut un joailler américain qui fonda son entreprise et qui se nomait JOHN W. CHARLTON ayant aquis l’expérience en travaillant pour divers bijoutiers pris la décision d’ouvrir son entreprise dans la 5eme Avenue a Manhattan. Signant ses créations par CHARLTON & CO quand il s’associat a Robert Chapin, leurs créations prirent une telle empleur afin d’offrir des bijoux de qualité recherchees a cette époque. Une dizaine d’années plus tard Mr Charlton vendit ses actions a Grant A. Peacock (en 1916 après une formation a Princeton) et a James Todd. Ce fut dans les débuts des années 20 que sa réputation a décollé avec le début de l’art deco. Les américains étaient disposés a suivre les tendances europeennes des bijoux particulièrement celles de Paris qui a cette époque étaient considérée l’épicentre du design et de créations nouvelles en bijouterie. Mr Charlton connu un designer de bijoux Maurice Duvalet, qui se joint a lui et fréquement faisaient des voyages a Paris afin de s’inspirer des tendances nouvelles de Paris, de retour a New York il les reinterpreta a sa façon en lui donnant un style propre et au gout des américains. Il produisit beaucoup de magnifiques et impressionantes pièces de collections, souvent il y ajoutait des diamants….. Toujours dans le style Art Déco. EDWARD PRINCE DE GALLES lors d’une visite a New York en 1924, donna beaucoup d’attention quand il acheta une boite a cigarettes en or deux tons en or rose et or jaune avec une petite rangée de platine sertie de diamants est devenue si populaire qu’elle prit le nom de Prince de Galles…. A la fin des années 1920, le succés fut tel que Mr Charlton ouvrit d’autres bijouteries a Palm Beach, Floride, et dans l’élégante Rue de la Paix a Paris. Mais la dépression vint et les ateignat de plein fouet et fut obligé de fermer…. Maurice Duvalet se reconverti chez Van Cleef & Arpels. Founded in 1909 Charlton & Co are probably best known for their fine Art Deco jewels which were the toast of 1920’s New York, their reputation was secured by a remarkable French jewellery designer and enhanced by the patronage of Edward, Prince of Wales. Were an American jewellers founded in New York in 1909 by John W. Having gained experience working with various firms, he opened his eponymous store, J. Charlton, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, changing the name to Charlton & Co. When business partner Robert Chapin joined him in the company. After re-locating further along Fifth Avenue to number 634, they set about establishing a reputation for offering fine quality jewellery in the styles fashionable of the period. Peacock (who had joined the firm in 1916 after graduating from Princeton) and James Todd. It was now, at the dawn of the roaring twenties and the Art Deco movement that the company’s fortunes really took off. Americans were keen to follow European jewellery trends, particularly those of Paris which at this time was regarded as the epicentre of jewellery design and craftsmanship. Charlton had a French jewellery designer Maurice Duvalet working for them who often made trips to Paris in order to keep abreast of current styles and absorb jewellery trends and ideas. On his return to New York, he would interpret these for the American taste and produced many striking pieces often with a focus on diamonds, such as wide panel bracelets, long pendants and jabot pins, as well as coloured gem rings, all in definite Art Deco style. The firm also retailed pieces that they imported from some of the best French jewellery workshops of the time such as Verger Freres who supplied Charlton with, amongst other things, a range of jewelled time pieces including an exceptional Chinoiserie clock with mother of pearl and lacquer dial featuring a large and very striking dragon. The yellow and rose gold striped case with engine turned detailing subsequently became so popular it was nicknamed the Prince of Wales Cigarette Case and the design was soon being applied to lighters, match cases, vanity cases and other accessories. By the late 1920’s Charlton’s success was such that they had expanded and opened branches in both Palm Beach, Florida as well as Paris’ fashionable Rue de La Paix. Unfortunately however, the depression of the following decade hit them hard and the branches were closed along with the firm’s workshop and. Their secret weapon, Duvalet (who went on to create masterpieces for Van Cleef & Arpels) was let go. When Todd passed away in 1943, Chapin retired and Peacock acquired ownership of the company and its archives and renamed it Grant A.
