Once he convinced himself of the universality of his talent, Salvador Dali made the whole world believe in it. As a jewelry designer, he created a luxurious collection of 37 pieces with a unique surreal charm.

“The ideal thing for me is one that is absolutely not suitable for anything. You can't write with this item, you can't remove excess hair with it, and you can't make calls. This item cannot be placed on a masterpiece or placed on a Louis XIV chest of drawers. This thing just needs to be worn, and it is jewelry."
S. Dali

Salvador Dali next to his work "Ruby Heart". Photo: www. salvador-dali.org

S. Dali, K. Alemany “Eye of Time”, 1949, platinum, diamonds, ruby, enamel, Movado 50SP watch movement. Photo: www. artsy

"Uselessness is the first condition of luxury"
S. Dali

Some of Salvador Dali's jewelry fantasies have become iconic works of art of the 20th century - the artist's favorite "Cosmic Elephant", "Eye of Time" with a teardrop in the corner, the excitingly sensual "Ruby Lips" and the pulsating "Royal Heart".

S. Dali “Ruby Lips”, 1949, rubies, pearls

Meeting of the Catalan surrealist with the Sicilian duke-jeweler on an abandoned American farm

In 1941, Salvador Dalí and Gala visited Caress Crosby, an American publisher, at her estate in Virginia, with whom the artist had been friends since his time in Paris. In 1934, Caress sponsored his first trip to America. The godmother of the Parisian writers of the “lost generation,” as Caresse Crosby was called, edited Dali’s autobiography.

Salvador Dalí, Gala and Caress Crosby at Hampton House, Virginia, 1941

Dali, it seems, became so homesick that he began working outdoors, although previously the artist did not like to paint in the fresh air, preferring a cozy studio. He was captivated by the history of the old South and he summoned the ghost spirits - the inhabitants of the Hampton House farm. The snowy weather suggested a black and white composition and a funny picture was immediately born in the surrealist’s imagination, which he called “The Effect of Ten Little Indians, a Black Piano and Two Black Pigs in the Snow.”

S. Dali at work on the composition “Effect of Ten Little Indians, Black Piano and Two Black Pigs in the Snow”, 1941

Caress Crosby invited the Italian designer Duke Fulco di Verdure to introduce him to Dali, suggesting their further cooperation. Verdura had just gained a name and a good reputation by that time, having worked for several years as a textile designer for Coco Chanel. In 1939, he opened his own jewelry salon in New York.

Apparently, in order to test the guest, Dali decided to play a prank on the designer. Arriving at Hampton Manor, the young Duke was horrified: instead of the elegant mansion he had imagined, he was greeted by a dilapidated house without electricity or heat.

Verdura later described a truly surreal meeting with Dali in the old Hampton Manor estate:

“It was deathly cold in the living room. Everyone was wearing a coat. I took off my coat when I entered the house and, numb from the cold, could not ask for it back. Dali constantly repeated: “This is Picasso’s workshop.” I have never been to Picasso’s studio, but I was told that there is the same poverty there as during his Blue Period.”

Fulco di Verdura "Fulco's Arrival in Virginia", watercolor

Later it turned out that everything was set up by Dali, and Verdura, who also loved pranks, quickly found a common language with the surrealist, and Crosby’s house seemed to him “a picture of comfort and delight.” In the end, Verdura called his visit "a huge success" because he and the artist began work on jewelry, which was first shown in an exhibition at the Julien Levy gallery in 1941 next to Dali's paintings, and later in the Dali and Miró exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art.

Work of Salvador Dali

F. di Verdura "Apollo and Daphne", gold, pink tourmaline, turquoise, rubies. Miniature drawing - Salvador Dali

"Saint Sebastian" from the 2016 collection from the House of Verdura, based on the work of Verdura and Dali.

“Fulko and I tried to find out whether precious stones were born for painting or painting for precious stones. We are sure that they were born for each other. This is a love marriage."
S. Dali

Design by F. di Verdura of the Medusa brooch, 1941, parchment, gouache. Miniature drawing by Salvador Dali

Cigarette case Spider. 1941 Gold, antique ivory, opals, pearls, lacquer, miniature painting - Salvador Dali

Carlos Alemany

In the 1950s, Dali dreamed of more complex and fantastic jewelry projects, and he no longer took part in general exhibitions of the surrealists - they excluded him from their movement. Dali proclaimed himself a universal master, like those who created during the Renaissance:

“As a paladin of the new Renaissance, I also refuse to limit myself. My art, in addition to painting, includes physics, mathematics, architecture, nuclear science (psycho-nuclear, mystical-nuclear) and jewelry art.” During the Renaissance, great masters did not limit themselves to one single means of expression. The genius of Leonardo da Vinci goes far beyond painting. His scientific spirit comprehended in the depths of the sea and in the air the possibility of miracles that today have become a reality. Benvenuto Cellini, Botticelli and da Luca processed precious stones for jewelry, creating cups and ornamental bowls decorated with stones of extraordinary beauty."

S. Dali “Cup of Life”, 1963, gold, yellow diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, lapis lazuli, with a mechanism that moves the wings of butterflies. Photo: Richard Lozin

Tango for two: Dali meets Carlos Alemany

Dali's wish came true with the appearance of jeweler Carlos Alemany in his life.

A native of Buenos Aires, Carlos Alemany was the conductor of a tango orchestra back in the 1930s and toured throughout Latin America, Europe and the United States. In the 1940s, he began studying jewelry in New York, and after meeting Dali in the 1950s, he was able to realize the crazy fantasies of the surrealist genius. The designers collaborated until 1971.

The jewelry was made from luxurious precious stones brought from the Congo - emeralds, sapphires, lapis lazuli, malachite.

Dali came up with the design and selected the materials himself for each work, focusing not only on the color, shape and value of the material, but also on the symbolic meanings attributed to precious stones and precious metals.

S. Dali “Royal Heart”, 1953, gold, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarines, peridot, garnets, amethyst, pearls

Some of Dali's works have mechanisms and can move. “Living Flower” opens and closes its petal arms, “Ruby Heart” beats, and “Fallen Angel” flaps its wings.

S. Dali “Living Flower”, 1959. Fragment. Photo: www.cienpiesviajes.wordpress.com

S. Dali "Living Flower", 1959. Gold, diamonds, malachite base

S. Dali "Living Flower", 1959

Until 1970, the genius of surrealism created only 39 sketches, from which 37 pieces of jewelry were made. The first 22 pieces were purchased by the American millionaire Cummins Catherwood, and in 1958 the owner of the collection was the Owen Cheatham Foundation, which bought all subsequent Dali jewelry creations. In 1981, the collection became the property of a Saudi tycoon and was then sold to three collectors from Japan.

In 1999, the Gala Foundation - Salvador Dali bought the jewelry collection for 5.5 million euros. Today, 39 decorations born from Dali's surrealist fantasies can be seen in the Theater-Museum in Figueres.

S. Dali “The Grapes of Immortality.” "Angel of Eternity", 1970. Fragment. Gold, amethysts, emeralds, smoky quartz. Photo: Richard Lozin

S. Dali “The Grapes of Immortality.” "Angel of Eternity", 1970. Gold, amethysts, emeralds, smoky quartz. Photo: Richard Lozin

“The difference between real jewelry and fake jewelry is that fake jewelry always looks more real—more sparkly. Therefore, a very tempting idea arises - to make real jewelry so deceptive that it can look like fake" -
S. Dali

S. Dali, K. Alemany. Brooch “Heart of Honeycomb”, 1949, gold, diamonds, rubies

S. Dali. Necklace with intertwined limbs (Choreographic Necklace), c. 1964, gold, diamonds, amethyst, sapphire

S. Dali “Swan Lake”, 1959, gold, diamonds, aquamarines, emeralds, sapphires, rock crystal. Photo: Richard Lozin

“Anthropomorphic themes appear again and again in my jewelry. I see the human form in trees, leaves, animals; I see animal and plant outlines in people...
...My art in painting, diamonds, rubies, pearls, emeralds, gold, peridot shows how metamorphoses occur; people create and change themselves. When they sleep, they transform into flowers, plants, trees. A new transformation is taking place in Heaven. The body again becomes the crown of creation and reaches perfection."
S. Dali “Hand in the Shape of a Leaf”, 1949, gold, emerald, rubies. Photo: Richard Lozin

“In jewelry, and in all my creative activities, I create what I love most... My work emphasizes the logarithmic law, as well as the relationship between spirit and matter, between space and time.”
S. Dali

S. Dali “Cross Branch”, 1959, gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies, emeralds. Photo: Richard Lozin

S. Dali, K. Alemany “Pax Vobiscum”, 1968, gold, diamonds, quartz, painting on wood. Photo: Richard Lozin

S. Dali “Cross Branch”, 1959, gold, platinum, diamonds, rubies, emeralds. Photo: Richard Lozin

Dali on the relationship between time and space:

“I have been aware of the connection between time and space since childhood. However, my invention of the “soft watch” - first in painting and then in 1950 in gold and precious stones - led to a division of opinion: on the one hand, to approval and understanding, and on the other, skepticism and mistrust.

Today in American schools my “soft clocks” are shown as a prophetic expression of the fluidity of time—the indivisibility of time and space. Speed ​​travel in our time (space flights) confirms this belief. Time is not frozen, it is fluid.”
S. Dali “The Persistence of Memory”, 1949, gold, diamonds, enamel, watch with Jaeger LeCoultre 426 movement

S. Dali, K. Alemany. Telephone clips, 1949, gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds

Dali spoke about the frivolity of some jewelry that he himself invented:

“They are illusory! Dali's jewelry is completely serious. I'm glad that people smile when they look at telephone earrings. A smile is nice. But these earrings, like all my jewelry works, are serious. They represent the ear, a symbol of harmony and unity. They signify the speed of modern means of communication, hope and danger in an instant change of thought.”

In the photo above. 1. Madonna Aquamarine, 1953, gold, diamonds, aquamarine. 2. Bleeding world, gold, diamonds, rubies, pearls. 3. Ophelia, 1953, gold, quartz, garnet, pearls. 4. Peace medal, 1954, gold, diamonds, lapis lazuli. 5. Snail ring, 1949, gold, diamonds, sapphire. 6. Corset ring, 1949, gold, diamonds, pearls.

But what, according to Dali, is of greatest value?

“Jeweled items—ornaments, medals, crosses, objets d’art—were not designed to remain inert in armored cells. They were created to please the eye, lift spirits, awaken the imagination and express beliefs..."

S. Dali, K. Alemany “Heart of a Pomegranate”, 1949, gold, diamonds, rubies

“...Without an audience, without the presence of spectators, these jewels will not perform the functions for which they were created. Thus, the viewer becomes their final creator - the viewer's eye, his heart and mind, merging with more or less understanding of the artist's intentions, give them life."
Salvador Dali

Dali possessed not only “constancy of memory,” but also constancy in matters of the heart, which is very rare for representatives of bohemia. Gala was his muse, girlfriend, wife, lover. For his beloved, Dali made a luxurious brooch “Ruby Heart”, decorated with 46 rubies, 42 diamonds and 4 emeralds. The mechanism inside the brooch makes “Dali’s heart” still beat.

Salvador Dali and Gala. Spain. Photo: Jerry Cooke/Corbis

The publication used materials: theadventurine.com, vickielester.com, salvador-dali.org and Comments by Salvador Dali on the catalog of the jewelry collection, 1959. Title illustration: Photograph by Philippe Halsman “Salvador Dali with his work “The Eye of Time”, 1947.

What do you want, my heart? What do you want, my heart?
- A beating heart made of ruby!
Dialogue between Salvador and Gala

Masterpieces are like children. It turns out that they also need two to be born. She is the inspirer, he is the performer. An ideal confirmation of this is the duet of Gala and Salvador Dali. He offered a brilliant realization of her every crazy desire. She wanted glitter and luxury - he began to invent jewelry.

The jewelry collection of the Gala - Salvador Dali Foundation is a luxurious legacy of a genius

The history of Salvador Dali's jewelry collection begins in 1941. Dali drew sketches on paper, carefully working out all the details. Dali came up with the names of all the decorations himself...

Veined leaf, 1953

The first 22 pieces were purchased by the American millionaire Cummins Catherwood, and in 1958 the owner of the collection was the Owen Cheatham Foundation, which bought all subsequent Dali jewelry creations.

Woven, 1964

By 1970, Salvador Dalí had come up with 39 designs and, in collaboration with talented jewelers, created 37 pieces of jewelry that became part of the permanent exhibition of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.

The Persistence of Memory, 1949.

In August and September 1973, a year before the opening of the theater-museum, the display of the precious collection took place in Figueres, as part of a temporary exhibition. In 1981, the surrealist jewelry became the property of a Saudi multimillionaire, who then sold the collection piecemeal to three legal entities from Japan.

Heart made of honeycomb.
Gold, round diamonds, round and oval rubies

One of these buyers subsequently initiated the return of jewelry masterpieces to their homeland, Spain.

Ruby Lips, 1952

Brooch created for actress Paulette Godard
- muses of Chaplin and Remarque.

Women's lips have inspired Dali since the 1930s. Then it was the smile of the scandalous star Mae West, to whom the famous portrait room is dedicated.

"Mae West's face used as a surreal room"
1934-1935

In 1999, the Gala - Salvador Dali Foundation bought the precious collection created by the brilliant Spaniard for 900 million pesetas (5.5 million euros). Today, 39 jewelry (2 items were made according to the artist’s sketches after his death), born of Dali’s surreal fantasies, can be seen in the Fergas Theater Museum, in the Galatea Tower, where a permanent exhibition hall has been created for them.

The Salvador Dali jewelry collection is a one-of-a-kind set of jewelry with an amazing combination of subjects, materials, sizes and shapes - the recognizable and unique handwriting of the maestro. Gold, platinum, precious stones, pearls and corals are no longer just expensive materials.

Tree of life necklace, 1949

They did not even become earrings, brooches or necklaces, but turned into hearts, lips, eyes, flowers, animals and anthropomorphic forms, religious and mythological symbols.

Angel Cross, 1960

Among the jewelry fantasies of Salvador Dali: the surrealist’s favorite image is “Cosmic Elephant” (1961), the excitingly sensual “Ruby Lips” (1949), “Living Flower”, “Eye of Time” with a tear in the corner, “Bleeding World” (1953 ) and, of course, “Royal Heart”, which Gala requested. A luxurious ruby ​​and, without a doubt, living heart: 46 rubies, 42 diamonds and 4 emeralds are combined into a single precious composition. It is made in such a way that the moving center “beats” like a real heart.

Royal Heart, 1953. Its middle pulsates like a real heart.

When creating a jewelry miracle, Salvador Dali never for a moment forgot about the “admiring public”, leaving a riddle in each of his products and as if inviting viewers to look for the answer: “Without an audience, without the presence of spectators, these products will not be able to fulfill the function for which they were created . The viewer thus becomes the ultimate artist.

His eye, heart and mind, with more or less ability to perceive the creator's intentions, fill the jewelry with life."

Sketches of jewelry displayed next to some products allow you to “peep” the thoughts of the master and follow how a masterpiece is born from an idea.

Listen to these amazing creations. Do you hear? They live, they breathe.

Here the image smoothly opens and closes with a gemstone.

And again Dali with his jokes - at the top of the stairs everyone gets confused and tries to enter the mirrors, although the passage is on the right.

All of Dali's jewelry is turned into hearts, lips, eyes, flowers, animals, religious and mythological symbols. Many of them are not intended to be worn at all.

Cross of gold cubes, 1959.

Lapis lazuli cross.

Gold, platinum (rays), round diamonds, natural cabochon rubies, polished lapis lazuli plates.

Cross of shoots, 1959.

Fallen Angel, 1963.

Flower of Life, 1959.

Swan Lake, 1959.

Spider of the Night, 1962.

Light of Christ, 1953.

Daphne, 1967.

Dolphins and mermaids, 1969.

Space Elephant, 1961.

Space elephant

Gold, natural emeralds, rubies, diamonds, on the back of the elephant there is a polished aquamarine crystal, at the base there is a large untreated aquamarine crystal. Watch with Omega movement. The theme of an elephant on long and thin stilt legs is often found in Dali's works. The prototype was “Bernini's Elephant” - a statue of an elephant with an obelisk on its back, installed in Rome. But Bernini’s elephant has normal legs, although it looks like a pig, since the great sculptor never saw this animal and created the monument according to eyewitness descriptions.

"Elephants", 1948

Psychedelic flower

Gold, natural stones.
Flower stones: blue - sapphire, spinel, aquamarine; yellow - zircon; pink - spinel, garnet; red - spinel, garnet.
Flower pot stones: spinels, rough ruby ​​crystals, polished lapis lazuli slabs. There is a mechanism hidden inside the pot that rotates the flower.

Madonna of Aquamarine. Aquamarine in a gold medallion depicting the Madonna. The crown of the Mother of God is covered with diamonds. When the medallion turns over, the face of the Madonna becomes the face of Christ.

Bleeding world. The suffering of a world divided by war and chaos. In the medallion dedicated to war, a pearl arrow holds the world together, symbolizing the love of Christ and my hope for peace.

Later, in his diary for September 1958 (Port Ligat, I-e) Dali will talk about it like this: “... Just as I was walking to my table to finally sit down, they called me to the next table, where they asked, I don’t agree "Should I make an egg from enamel in the Faberge style."

Below-Grapes of Immortality, 1970.

When creating sketches of products, the artist drew the details to the smallest detail, and in the comments indicated an accurate description of the material and color. He selected the stones himself and meticulously followed the work of the jeweler who brought his ideas to life. I used jewelry only with a rich, rich palette: snow-white pearls, deep red rubies, dark blue sapphires, dazzling gold, shiny, without patina, silver.

Brooch-watch Eye of Time.

Ruby cabochon, round diamonds and baguette.

Composition Living Flower. Gold, round diamonds, Congolese malachite.

Brooch Ophelia.Gold, natural citrine, hexagon-cut, green marquise-cut demantoid garnets, natural pearls.

Brooch Tristan and Isolde, 1953

Tristan and Isolde. The silhouettes of lovers form a bowl, which, in turn, symbolizes the possible abundance of love between a man and a woman.
Gold, platinum, diamonds, almandine garnet (triangular cabochon). The same legend of fatal love is reflected in the painting painted in 1944.

S. Dali
Tristan and Isolde

The petal hands move, the flower opens and closes.
The mechanism that sets the petals in motion is housed in a malachite block.

Thanks to the pave frame, the illusion is created that the entire surface of the rim, which gracefully outlines the eye, is covered with diamonds. This principle of setting diamonds is similar to the technique of paving roads: small round stones are located in the recesses of the “path”.

"With my jewelry, I would like to protest against the importance placed on the price of the material used by jewelers. I strive to ensure that the artist's art is appreciated for what it is - design and craftsmanship should be valued above the value of the precious stones, as it was during the Renaissance."
(Commentary by S. Dali to his jewelry collection, 1959).

Composition "Explosion".

Platinum, natural pear-shaped rubies and oval, round diamonds, irregularly shaped polished lapis lazuli plates, fluorite crystal.

Ring Corset
Gold, cut diamonds, pearls.

Below are non-precious reproductions by Margot Townsend, produced under exclusive license from the Gala - Salvador Dali Foundation.

Dali's jewelry is not just brooches, rings, pendants. These are precious compositions, each of which contains a plot, combined with material, form and execution.

In Europe, as Hermann Schadt points out, the first demonstration of Dali's jewelry took place in 1971. The author reports that “... his works were often ridiculed as kitsch, however, today the situation is changing to a more fair one, and these works can be defined as a special expression of surrealism, which can be considered one of the most important artistic movements of the 20th century."

Salvador Dali's comments on his jewelry collection, 1959:

During the Renaissance, great masters did not limit themselves to one single means of expression. The genius of Leonardo da Vinci goes far beyond painting. His scientific spirit comprehended in the depths of the sea and in the air the possibility of miracles that today have become a reality. Benvenuto Cellini, Botticelli and da Luca processed precious stones for jewelry and created goblets and ornamental bowls decorated with stones of extraordinary beauty.

Palladin of the new Renaissance, I also refuse to be limited. My art covers, in addition to painting, physics, mathematics, architecture, nuclear science - psychonuclear, nuclear mysticism and jewelry. With my jewelry, I would like to protest against the importance placed on the price of the material used by jewelers. I strive for the artist's art to be appreciated for what it is - design and craftsmanship should be valued above the value of precious stones, as was the case during the Renaissance.

DESIGN AND INSPIRATION

In jewelry, as in all my creative work, I embody what I love most. In some of them you can appreciate the architectural shades (as in some of my paintings). Here the logarithmic law is once again manifested, as well as the relationship between spirit and matter, between time and space.

ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF TIME AND SPACE

The understanding of the unity of time and space penetrated my consciousness as a child. However, my invention of the “soft watch,” first painted in oil and later, in 1950, made of gold and precious stones, evoked conflicting responses: acceptance and understanding, on the one hand, and skepticism and mistrust, on the other.

Today in American schools my “soft clocks” are demonstrated as a prophetic expression of the fluidity of time..., the inseparability of time and space. The speed of movement in our time - space flights - confirms this belief. Time is fluid, it is not frozen.

ON ATTACHING HUMAN QUALITIES TO INANIMATE OBJECTS

Anthropomorphic themes appear again and again in my jewelry. I see human forms in trees, leaves, animals; animal and plant - in human.

My art with painting, diamonds, rubies, pearls, emeralds, gold, chrysoprase proves how metamorphosis occurs; human beings have the ability to create and transform. When they sleep, they completely change, turning into flowers, plants, trees. The next transformation takes place in Paradise. The body becomes whole again and reaches perfection.

ABOUT THE FRIVOLIENT APPEARANCE OF INDIVIDUAL DALI JEWELRY

Illusion! Dali's jewelry should be taken very seriously. I like my Phone Earrings to make me smile. A smile is something pleasant. But these earrings, like all my jewelry, are serious things. Earrings - represent the ear - a symbol of harmony and unity. They contain the meaning of the speed of modern means of communication, the hope and danger of the sudden exchange of thoughts.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

My jewelry collection, assembled by the Owen Chisem Association, will inevitably acquire historical significance. Over time, these products will prove that simply beautiful objects, having no practical use, but at the same time beautifully crafted, were appreciated in an era when the main emphasis seemed to be on everything utilitarian and material.

Freed from materialism and in the name of philanthropic ideals, Dali's jewelry acts as ambassadors to America, Russia, Europe and the rest of the world, symbolizing the cosmogonic unity of our age.

Jewelry decorated things - jewelry, medals, crosses, objects of art were not conceived to be stored as dead weight in an armored chamber. They were created to please the eye, lift the spirit, excite the imagination and express belief. Without an audience, without the presence of spectators, these products would not fulfill the function for which they were created. This means that the viewer himself ultimately turns into an artist. His gaze, heart, mind, catching, more or less understanding the creator’s intention and merging with this intention, breathe life into these products.

The history of Salvador Dali's jewelry collection begins in 1941. Based on Dali's sketches, jeweler Carlos Alemany created 37 pieces of jewelry. The first 22 pieces were purchased by American millionaire Cummins Catherwood, and in 1958 the owner of the collection was the Owen Cheatham Foundation, which bought all subsequent Dali jewelry creations. In 1981, the surrealist jewelry became the property of a Saudi multimillionaire, who then sold the collection piecemeal to three legal entities from Japan. One of these buyers subsequently initiated the return of jewelry masterpieces to their homeland, Spain.

In 1999, the Gala - Salvador Dali Foundation bought the precious collection created by the brilliant Spaniard for 900 million pesetas (5.5 million euros). Today, 39 jewelry (2 items were made according to the artist’s sketches after his death), born of Dali’s surreal fantasies, can be seen in the theater-museum in Figueres, in the Galatea tower, where a permanent exhibition hall has been created for them.

The Salvador Dali jewelry collection is a one-of-a-kind set of jewelry with an amazing combination of subjects, materials, sizes and shapes - the recognizable and unique handwriting of the maestro. Gold, platinum, precious stones, pearls and corals are no longer just expensive materials. They did not even become earrings, brooches or necklaces, but turned into hearts, lips, eyes, flowers, animals and anthropomorphic forms, religious and mythological symbols.

Among the jewelry fantasies of Salvador Dali: the surrealist’s favorite image is “Cosmic Elephant” (1961), the excitingly sensual “Ruby Lips” (1949), “Living Flower”, “Eye of Time” with a tear in the corner, “Bleeding World” (1953 ) and, of course, “Royal Heart”, which Gala requested. A luxurious ruby ​​and, without a doubt, living heart: 46 rubies, 42 diamonds and 4 emeralds are combined into a single precious composition. It is made in such a way that the moving center “beats” like a real heart.

The production of replicas of unique jewelry presented in our online store is carried out under an exclusive license by the Gala - Salvador Dali Foundation.

Masterpieces are like children. It turns out that they also need two to be born. She is the inspirer, he is the performer. An ideal confirmation of this is the duet of Gala and Salvador Dali. He offered a brilliant realization of her every crazy desire. She wanted glitter and luxury - he began to invent jewelry.

The jewelry collection of the Gala - Salvador Dali Foundation is a luxurious legacy of a genius

The history of Salvador Dali's jewelry collection begins in 1941. Dali drew sketches on paper, carefully working out all the details. Dali came up with the names of all the decorations himself...

Veined leaf, 1953

The first 22 pieces were purchased by the American millionaire Cummins Catherwood, and in 1958 the owner of the collection was the Owen Cheatham Foundation, which bought all subsequent Dali jewelry creations.

Woven, 1964

By 1970, Salvador Dalí had come up with 39 designs and, in collaboration with talented jewelers, created 37 pieces of jewelry that became part of the permanent exhibition of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.

The Persistence of Memory, 1949.

In August and September 1973, a year before the opening of the theater-museum, the display of the precious collection took place in Figueres, as part of a temporary exhibition. In 1981, the surrealist jewelry became the property of a Saudi multimillionaire, who then sold the collection piecemeal to three legal entities from Japan.

Heart made of honeycomb.

Gold, round diamonds, round and oval rubies

One of these buyers subsequently initiated the return of jewelry masterpieces to their homeland, Spain.

Ruby Lips, 1952

Brooch created for actress Paulette Godard

Muses of Chaplin and Remarque.

Women's lips have inspired Dali since the 1930s. Then it was the smile of the scandalous star Mae West, to whom the famous portrait room is dedicated.

"Mae West's face used as a surreal room"

1934-1935

In 1999, the Gala - Salvador Dali Foundation bought the precious collection created by the brilliant Spaniard for 900 million pesetas (5.5 million euros). Today, 39 jewelry (2 items were made according to the artist’s sketches after his death), born of Dali’s surreal fantasies, can be seen in the Fergas Theater Museum, in the Galatea Tower, where a permanent exhibition hall has been created for them.

The Salvador Dali jewelry collection is a one-of-a-kind set of jewelry with an amazing combination of subjects, materials, sizes and shapes - the recognizable and unique handwriting of the maestro. Gold, platinum, precious stones, pearls and corals are no longer just expensive materials.

Tree of life necklace, 1949

They did not even become earrings, brooches or necklaces, but turned into hearts, lips, eyes, flowers, animals and anthropomorphic forms, religious and mythological symbols.

Angel Cross, 1960

Among the jewelry fantasies of Salvador Dali: the surrealist’s favorite image is “Cosmic Elephant” (1961), the excitingly sensual “Ruby Lips” (1949), “Living Flower”, “Eye of Time” with a tear in the corner, “Bleeding World” (1953 ) and, of course, “Royal Heart”, which Gala requested. A luxurious ruby ​​and, without a doubt, living heart: 46 rubies, 42 diamonds and 4 emeralds are combined into a single precious composition. It is made in such a way that the moving center “beats” like a real heart.

Royal Heart, 1953. Its middle pulsates like a real heart.

When creating a jewelry miracle, Salvador Dali never for a moment forgot about the “admiring public”, leaving a riddle in each of his products and as if inviting viewers to look for the answer: “Without an audience, without the presence of spectators, these products will not be able to fulfill the function for which they were created . The viewer thus becomes the ultimate artist.

His eye, heart and mind, with more or less ability to perceive the creator's intentions, fill the jewelry with life."

Sketches of jewelry displayed next to some products allow you to “peep” the thoughts of the master and follow how a masterpiece is born from an idea.

Listen to these amazing creations. Do you hear? They live, they breathe.

Here the image smoothly opens and closes with a gemstone.

And again Dali with his jokes - at the top of the stairs everyone gets confused and tries to enter the mirrors, although the passage is on the right.

All of Dali's jewelry is turned into hearts, lips, eyes, flowers, animals, religious and mythological symbols. Many of them are not intended to be worn at all.

Cross of gold cubes, 1959.

Lapis lazuli cross.

Gold, platinum (rays), round diamonds, natural cabochon rubies, polished lapis lazuli plates.

Cross of shoots, 1959.

Fallen Angel, 1963.

Flower of Life, 1959.

Swan Lake, 1959.

Spider of the Night, 1962.

Light of Christ, 1953.

Daphne, 1967.

Dolphins and mermaids, 1969.

Space Elephant, 1961.

Space elephant

Gold, natural emeralds, rubies, diamonds, on the back of the elephant there is a polished aquamarine crystal, at the base there is a large untreated aquamarine crystal. Watch with Omega movement. The theme of an elephant on long and thin stilt legs is often found in Dali's works. The prototype was “Bernini's Elephant” - a statue of an elephant with an obelisk on its back, installed in Rome. But Bernini’s elephant has normal legs, although it looks like a pig, since the great sculptor never saw this animal and created the monument according to eyewitness descriptions.

"Elephants", 1948

Psychedelic flower

Gold, natural stones.

Flower stones: blue - sapphire, spinel, aquamarine; yellow - zircon; pink - spinel, garnet; red - spinel, garnet.

Flower pot stones: spinels, rough ruby ​​crystals, polished lapis lazuli slabs. There is a mechanism hidden inside the pot that rotates the flower.

Madonna of Aquamarine. Aquamarine in a gold medallion depicting the Madonna. The crown of the Mother of God is covered with diamonds. When the medallion turns over, the face of the Madonna becomes the face of Christ.

Bleeding world. The suffering of a world divided by war and chaos. In the medallion dedicated to war, a pearl arrow holds the world together, symbolizing the love of Christ and my hope for peace.

Later, in his diary for September 1958 (Port Ligat, I-e) Dali will talk about it like this: “... Just as I was walking to my table to finally sit down, they called me to the next table, where they asked, I don’t agree "Should I make an egg from enamel in the Faberge style."

Below-Grapes of Immortality, 1970.

When creating sketches of products, the artist drew the details to the smallest detail, and in the comments indicated an accurate description of the material and color. He selected the stones himself and meticulously followed the work of the jeweler who brought his ideas to life. I used jewelry only with a rich, rich palette: snow-white pearls, deep red rubies, dark blue sapphires, dazzling gold, shiny, without patina, silver.

Brooch-watch Eye of Time.

Ruby cabochon, round diamonds and baguette.

Composition Living Flower. Gold, round diamonds, Congolese malachite.

Brooch Ophelia.Gold, natural citrine, hexagon-cut, green marquise-cut demantoid garnets, natural pearls.

Brooch Tristan and Isolde, 1953

Tristan and Isolde. The silhouettes of lovers form a bowl, which, in turn, symbolizes the possible abundance of love between a man and a woman.

Gold, platinum, diamonds, almandine garnet (triangular cabochon). The same legend of fatal love is reflected in the painting painted in 1944.

Tristan and Isolde

The petal hands move, the flower opens and closes.

The mechanism that sets the petals in motion is housed in a malachite block.

Thanks to the pave frame, the illusion is created that the entire surface of the rim, which gracefully outlines the eye, is covered with diamonds. This principle of setting diamonds is similar to the technique of paving roads: small round stones are located in the recesses of the “path”.

"With my jewelry, I would like to protest against the importance placed on the price of the material used by jewelers. I strive to ensure that the artist's art is appreciated for what it is - design and craftsmanship should be valued above the value of the precious stones, as it was during the Renaissance."

(Commentary by S. Dali to his jewelry collection, 1959).

Composition "Explosion".

Platinum, natural pear-shaped rubies and oval, round diamonds, irregularly shaped polished lapis lazuli plates, fluorite crystal.

Ring Corset

Gold, cut diamonds, pearls.

Below are non-precious reproductions by Margot Townsend, produced under exclusive license from the Gala - Salvador Dali Foundation.

Dali's jewelry is not just brooches, rings, pendants. These are precious compositions, each of which contains a plot, combined with material, form and execution.

In Europe, as Hermann Schadt points out, the first demonstration of Dali's jewelry took place in 1971. The author reports that “... his works were often ridiculed as kitsch, however, today the situation is changing to a more fair one, and these works can be defined as a special expression of surrealism, which can be considered one of the most important artistic movements of the 20th century."

The work of Salvador Dali is multifaceted. His works, of which there are over 1,500, include paintings, graphic works, book illustrations, sculptures, and jewelry. He was a great designer - designer of theatrical scenery, costumes, and jewelry.

In 1941, the first jewelry of Salvador Dali began to emerge. He made their drawings with a complete description of the materials for their manufacture. One of the main rules of the artist was the use of bright tones of gold, precious stones, etc. The interesting ideas of Salvador Dali were realized by his friend, jewelry maker Carlos Alemoni.

Millionaire K. Catherwood was lucky enough to purchase the first 22 products created by the designer. The Owen Cheatham Foundation bought the rest.

39 sketches were developed by the artist by the end of 1969. With the assistance of skilled jewelry craftsmen, he made 37 pieces of precious stones, which were subsequently exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts in the American city of Richmond, Virginia.

The collection of jewelry in the city of Figueres in the Spanish province of Gerona was exhibited in 1973. Then, in 1981, the jewelry became the property of a Saudi Arabian millionaire, who sold the jewelry to Japanese lawyers. Soon, one of the Japanese buyers returned the wonderful creation to Spain.

The artist’s jewelry displays a wonderful combination of subjects, sizes, materials and shapes. Thanks to this, the unique style of the great genius is immediately recognizable. His creations fascinate not with the shine of precious stones, but with the transformation of products into a variety of “hearts”, “lips”, “eyes”, “flowers”.

To get a rough idea of ​​Dali's jewelry, you can consider some of the jewelry that is most characteristic of his style. , and were used by Salvador Dali to create the magnificent work “The Royal Heart”. At the center of this composition is a mechanism that makes the heart beat as if alive.

His creation “The Bleeding World” is permeated with the sorrow of a world fragmented into war and chaos. The pearl arrow in the medallion, which the artist dedicated to the war, is a symbol of the love of Christ and the expectation of peace.

“The Eyes of Time” suggests that a person is not able to escape from his fate. One gets the impression that the depicted eyes are closely watching the present and future of a person. Also, the original composition is a “living flower”, in which diamond petals are directed towards the light.

Created in 1958, the chic brooch entitled “Ruby Lips with Teeth Like Pearls” was dedicated to actress Paulette Godard. This composition of a passionate image has haunted the designer for many years.

Analyzing the works of Salvador Dali, famous artists came to the conclusion that it was impossible to exclude any detail from his images. All created creations, imbued with the artist’s thought, were a symbolic designation of the 20th century. One of his sayings dedicated to beginning artists: “Learn to make your brush give birth to gold and precious stones.”