Product Info

A circle of brilliant green enamel is punctuated by a large synthetic orange sapphire in this striking vintage pendant by renowned modernist jeweler James Parker. The metal beneath the transparent apple green enamel (probably silver plated copper) is textured, enhancing its reflection of light. The pendant is suspended from a sterling silver neck ring that was not made by Parker, but which came with the pendant, and is an excellent weight for the pendant. 

James Parker (1914-1987) was a San Diego silversmith and enamelist. He was a member of San Diego’s Allied Craftsmen group and exhibited his work in numerous national exhibits including “Craftsmanship in a Changing World”, the inaugural exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York in 1956 [now known as the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD)]. According to Marbeth Schon in Form and Function, American Modernist Jewelry, 1940-1970 Parker’s designs are “unique statements of subtlety mixed with boldness. The linear elements of his designs almost always curve or circle around his forms creating a feeling of vitality”. This vitality can be seen in this pendant with its vibrant colors and with the swelling ribbed element that spans the middle giving it an almost anthropomorphic appearance when viewed from the side.

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