Frank Walter Lawrence

Frank Walter Lawrence, one of thirteen children, was born November 2nd 1864 in Baltimore. In general, relatively little is known about him and his business – the earliest of his recovered pieces dating back only to 1901. An ornate ring, deduced to be a 50th birthday gift (though the recipient is unknown), it was a prime example of the curvilinear style, sometimes referred to as the American version of art nouveau, which Lawrence would go on to incorporate in his work in many different ways.

20776 - F.W. Lawrence Platinum Diamond Emerald Ruby & Sapphire Art Deco Brooch

Following multiple apprenticeships in different jewelry businesses, Lawrence established his first business in Newark in 1889, before relocating to New York City in 1894. It is thought that, by then, he was already well established in the world of jewelry, as he attended the New York Jeweler’s Association’s 20th banquet, which was frequented by many prominent jewelers of the time. In 1898, Lawrence opened his first jewelry salon, in which he displayed pieces and catered to a specific clientele. This way of conducting business made him relatively unknown outside of the jewelry business, but highly recommended within it. Lawrence focused mainly on artistic pieces with unusual stones, often turning to nature for inspiration, and was known for adapting many techniques of the time. In 1903, he created a new style of jewelry incorporating baroque pearls, one notable example of which includes using these “mal-formed” pearls as sails in a bracelet displaying ships.

900209 - F.W.Lawrence Gold Diamond Opal Floral 3-Stone Art Nouveau Ring

In 1905, Lawrence moved to 322 Fifth Avenue, and then 527 Fifth Avenue in 1915. It was around this time that he started incorporating Cyprian or Phoenician glass – fragments of ancient cups and bowls taken from long undisturbed tombs, and possessing a “wonderful iridescence” – into his designs, though only one of these F. W. Lawrence pieces remains today: a lotus and dragonfly hair comb. Lawrence’s high attention to detail, and the fact that many of his pieces were completely hand-wrought, made him highly sought out. One particular commission, thought to be a gift for someone’s 30th birthday, contained thirty different colored gemstones (topaz, rose quartz, ruby, spinel, amethyst, jargoon, sapphire, hyacinth…) mounted in a highly intricate pattern.

42737 - F.W. Lawrence Platinum Diamond Edwardian Filigree Pin Pendant

Lawrence “thought of his jewelry as a wearable sculpture”, and his signature motif was the mermaid. He drew much inspiration from nature, even with his silverware, one example of which includes a pair of salt and pepper shakers shaped as upside-down mushrooms. On April 2, 1913 his company was incorporated, and his designs were now stamped with “INC” in addition to the “F.W.L” (or “F. Walter Lawrence”) – a practice which would later become a great help in dating his pieces. Despite this big change to the business, Lawrence’s style remained the same, and he continued to be an active participant in many important exhibitions.

On March 10th 1929, Frank Lawrence died of a stroke, and his cousins (previously secretary and treasurer), took over the company in his stead. Despite the refashioning of older jewelry into modern settings in the 1940s, F. W. Lawrence's guiding principle of offering only fine gemstones jewelry and silverware, as well as handcrafted pieces, prevailed. It wasn’t until 1975 that the firm finally dissolved, after seventy-seven years of commendable and unique pieces, many of which are now present in museums and private collections.

77839 - F.W. Lawrence Crica 1925 Platinum Moonstone Sapphire Bracelet

On the last page of his catalogue (published in the early 1920s), Lawrence summed up his business philosophy with a quote from author Gerald Stanley Lee: “The business man who merely makes for the people what they want, and does not get the prestige with men of making for them things they did not know they wanted, is a failure and falls behind in his business”.

Sources:

Antiques, The Jewelry & Silver of F. Walter Lawrence
April 2004, Janet Zapata