The gold pendant designed as a bird, accompanied by an unsigned 14k gold chain

METAL: 18k yellow gold
SIGNATURE: TIFFANY & Co. CUMMINGS
MARKS: © 1981 18K
SIZE/DIMENSIONS: 45.5 cm length of chain
GROSS WEIGHT: 14.1 grams
Accompanied by an Angela Cummings black pouch

Austrian-born Angela Cummings (b. 1944) moved to the United States with her family at the age of three. She returned to Europe to study at the Art Academy in Perugia, Italy and then on to learn goldsmithing, gemology and design in Germany. In 1968, she began work at Tiffany & Co. in New York under the tutelage of Donald Claflin and presented her first collection, under her own name, for Tiffany in 1975. In 1984 she formed her own company with her husband, and her designs were offered at Bergdorf Goodman within a year. She had a presence at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus until 2003, when she decided to close her business.

An article that appeared in the October 1985 issue of Connoisseur called Angela Cummings, “the artist of female adornment.” By synthesizing elements found in nature with conventional jewelry materials, she designed thoughtful jewelry to accessorize a woman’s costuming and created voluminous styles that are as appealing today as when they were first introduced over forty years ago. Famous for her designs in gold incorporating delicate inlay with materials like lapis, opal, mother-of-pearl and jade, Cummings’ aesthetic focused on a soft palette paired with organic forms that exuded feminism and charm.