An incredible and rare early Art Deco ring by Jean Després, circa 1929, handmade in French silver and centered by a large polished black onyx. The onyx rises prominently above the finger while the shoulders are built from heavy stepped geometric layers of silver, giving the ring the strong machine-inspired construction that became one of Després’s most recognizable signatures. The top measures approximately 13.75 x 19.5mm, and the band tapers from approximately 6.2mm to 4mm. The ring is approximately a US size 8–8.5.
Jean Després was one of the most important French artist-jewelers of the Art Deco period. After working in the workshops of French military aviation during World War I, he carried the forms of machinery, engines and mechanical components into his jewelry. By the end of the 1920s his work was radically different from traditional French fine jewelry, using silver, onyx and strong geometric forms instead of relying on precious stones. These ideas ultimately developed into his celebrated Bijoux Moteurs, or “motor jewels,” of the early 1930s.
A closely related Després ring design with overlapping geometric shoulders was formally registered as Model No. 22 on November 14, 1929, and this ring may represent that registered design or a closely related variation from the same period. The construction of the shoulders, scale and strong geometric treatment all closely align with Després’s documented work from this moment.
The markings on this ring are exceptional. It is hand-signed J. Després, bears Després’s JD maker’s lozenge, the French crab silver guarantee mark, and Déposé, indicating that the design was registered. The combination of the oversized black onyx, substantial silver construction and those incredible stepped shoulders places this firmly within Després’s groundbreaking late-1920s design language. A seriously rare piece of French Art Deco jewelry and a wearable piece of early Modernist design history.
