RARE Bill Schiffer Large Abstract Lucite and Rhinestone Earrings Circa 1988

Measurements: 1.9"L x 1.6"W (4.83cm x 4.06cm)

Markings: B Schiffer © 1988

Weight: 20.5g

Another fantastic estate piece from the amazing mind of Bill Schiffer! Metallic eyeshadow and excessive use of Aquanet Hairspray optional. They have been converted to post backs with sterling silver stems and butterfly backs. All rhinestones are intact and snug. I have applied a clear acrylic coating to insure they are good for another 50 years.

Artist and jewelry designer Bill Schiffer has lived in New York City for his entire life: painting, sculpting and, most notably, creating bright, wearable art jewelry pieces bursting with color. Schiffer’s approach to necklaces, brooches, rings and earrings was spirited, groundbreaking and became his signature; combining the neoclassical art styles of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s with objects people could wear. “People always ask me what my favorite pieces are, "I can’t point out one over the other. What I’d always wanted from my pieces was to constantly go back and see new things. They stay alive for me.” Artist and jewelry designer Bill Schiffer of the SOHO District of New York City is a World acclaimed painter, sculptor and most notably a jewelry designer of bright, wearable art jewelry pieces bursting with color. Schiffer’s approach to necklaces, brooches, rings and earrings was spirited, groundbreaking and became his signature; combining the neoclassical art styles of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s with objects people could wear. “I started designing wearable art jewelry in 1973 and I moved into this 5,000 square foot loft in Soho in 1976. I wanted to bring art to product. I felt like people who ran department stores were fairly unconscious about what art could bring them, so I started creating pieces for visual effect. At first I didn’t want to put value into the materials, so I made everything out of a polyester resin and then I’d hand-paint. Eventually I started using crystals, and then I got into silver and gold.” “The first store that decided to take a chance on what I was doing was Bloomingdales. They had a department for higher end pieces, and they weren’t sure they’d be able to keep my counter going, so they made a deal with me for one month. They wound up running the counter for 10 years, and adding another one for my lower end pieces. Saks Fifth Avenue noticed what was happening and they approached me. I had a counter on their main floor for 12 years.” “People have been fascinated by my color sense and the joy that generally comes from my pieces. They’re usually abstract, and they’re all about moving the eye around. The original series I did was called “A Little Bit of Fun,” and the reason for it was that if someone saw you wearing the piece, they generally smiled at you. They fell in love with it as well." “In the mid seventies, right after I started selling around the country and the world, my late wife, Sally Hawkins and I thought it would be a good idea to open a gallery in New York. We started looking for a space in Soho because it was then the the center of the art world, and in 1980 we moved into a building on the corner of Broadway and Prince. The ground level was jewelry, and the second floor was strictly an art space where we did group and individual shows. It ran until 2005, when Sally was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer.”