Renaissance of Jewellery: Discovering Glass: Louis Rousselet

Louis Rousselet (1892-1980) - French beadmaker and jewelry designer. Famous of his art glass beads, imitation pearls and Galalith beads that were worn by the famous women of that time. In 1920, he founded his own workshop, specializing on imitation pearls and glass beads. He founded his business in 1926 at 18 rue des Pavillons in Paris. Chanel became one of the first clients followed by Dior, Lanvin, Schiaparelli, Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, Balmain...

Every glass bead was formed by hand, wrapping hot glass around metal mandrel. Often these beads were given baroque shape to resemble natural stones (imitation turquoise, marble, quartz etc) with each bead different than other. Glass pearls were coated with a fish scale compound - essence d'Orient - less coatings giving a semi-transparent look and many coatings creating a thick pearlescent surface.

Selection of Rousselet pearls - smooth or baroque, strings of
same sized pearls or graduated, in various colors.

"...it took six or seven years to train workers, an expensive procedure which came to an end when the last trained worker retired in 1975..." quote from illusionjewels.com. The workshops employed up to 800 people.

Louis Rousselet factory.
Photo via beadcollector.net

Galalith beads were made from casein (milk protein) that was dipped into formaldehyde. It was produced in sheets or tubes and dyed. Since this early plastic couldn't be molded, it was carved the way more expensive materials like wood, tortoise shell, jadeite, horn and ivory. Louis Rousselet also experimented with interlocking beads created from different colored beads that fit together. He also used Nacrolaque beads from Paisseau's stock (Beads: journal of the society of Bead Research vol 8-9).

Signed clasp with "Made in France" and initials "LR"
This is a box clasp, but I've seen Louis Rousselet jewelry
with barrel/sphere claps (with screw) and different hooks.

After the purchasing Persan-Beaumont company, Rousselet started to produce metal work in variety of colours and forms including pin packs, stamped filigrees, different clasps, bead caps etc. Combining these with glass beads and wire work techniques defines Rousselet style. Louis Rousselet jewelry had paper tags, but sometimes a phrase "Made in France" stamped on metal findings. There are also some box clasps that had additional initials "LR".

Paper tag of Louis Rousselet jewelry.

Photo from jeannedanjou-jewelry-paris.com

Daughter of Louis Rousselet - Denise - also designed some of her fathers collection and in 1960 opened a shop Jeanne Danjou after her mother. The very same shop is still in business and run by Denise son Jean. See more jeannedanjou.com

"In the 1930s, Mistinguett – the great acting and singing star of the time – was the muse of Rousselet and his company. Many starlets such as Joséphine Baker often appeared in public wearing Rousselet beads in venues such as the Moulin Rouge and the Casino de Paris." quote from jeannedanjou-jewelry-paris.com

Mistinguett in Rousselet factory trying beadmaking.
Photo via beadcollector.net.

Louis Rousselet (1892-1980) - Prantsuse helmetegija ja disainer. Kuulus efektsest klaasist helmeste, imitatsioon pärlite ja Galalith helmeste poolest, mida kandsid tolleaegsed kuulsad naisterahvad. Aastal 1920 asutas enda töökoja ja spetsialiseerus imitatsioon-pärlite ja klaashelmeste valmistamisele. Esimesi kliente oli Chanel, kellele järgnesid Dior, Lanvin, Schiaparelli, Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, Balmain...

These wireworked components came with the pearls and clasps.
I haven't seen any jewelry with these but pearls on wire
with loops both ends are very common in Rousselet jewelry.

Iga klaashelmes valmistati käsitsi, mässides kuuma klaasi ümber metallist varda. Tihti anti helmestele barokne pind, et imiteerida looduslikke kive (türkiis, marmor, kvarts jne) valmistades iga helmes pisut omamoodi. Klaaspärlid kaeti kalasoomustest valmistatud kihiga - essence d'Orient - õhem kiht andis klaasi läbi kumama, paksem kiht meenutas kauneimaid looduslikke pärleid.

"...võttis kuus või seitse aastat, et õpetada välja töölisi, kulukas protseduur, mis lõppes aastal 1975, kui viimane helmeste valmistaja pensionile siirdus..." tsitaat illusionjewels.com. Töökodades valmistas helmeid kuni 800 töölist.

Pair of Louis Rousselet clasps. One with round
baroque glass pearl and antique silver filigree,
other with imitation turquoise bead nested in
tiny glass pearls. Both clasps are signed.

Galalith helmed valmistati kaseiinist, mis pisteti formaldehüüdi. Seda valmistati lehtede või torudena ning siis värviti. Kuna seda varajast plastmassi ei saanud vormida, siis seda lõigati ja kaunistati nikerdustega nagu kallemaid materjale, nt puu, kilpkonnaluu, jadeiit, luu ja elevandiluu. Louis Rousselet eksperimenteeris varajase plastikuga, valmistades helmeid kahest erivärvi osast ning pannes need kokku nagu mosaiigi. Ta kasutas veel Nacrolaque helmeid Paisseau valikust (Beads: journal of the society of Bead Research vol 8-9).

Kui Rousselet ostis ära firma Persan-Beaumont, lisandusid erinevatele helmestele ka suures valikus metallist ehete komponendid nagu prossinõelad, filigraan-plaadid, erinevad kinnised, helmekübarad jne. Kombineerides neid kvaliteetsete klaashelmeste ja traadi kasutamise tehnikaga, on näha Rousselet ehete iseloomulik stiil. Louis Rousselet ehetel olid pabersildid, mõnikord oli metallist ehetekomponentidele peale löödud "Made in France" ja mõnedel karpkinnistel oli lisaks sellele veel initsiaalid "LR".

Louis Rousselet tütar - Denise - disainis samuti mõnikord oma isale kollektsioone ja avas 1960 poe, millele andis oma ema järgi nime Jeanne Danjou. See sama pood tegutseb tänapäevalgi ja seda peab Denise' poeg Jean. Poe koduleht on jeannedanjou.com

Misstinguett was the muse of Rousselet and his company.
Photo from jeannedanjou-jewelry-paris.com

"1930ndatel aastatel, Mistinguett – tolleaegne suur filmi ja muusika kuulsus– oli Rousselet ja ta firma muusaks. Mitmed tähed nagu Joséphine Baker kandsid Rousselet helmeid kohtades nagu Moulin Rouge ja Casino de Paris." tsitaat jeannedanjou-jewelry-paris.com