Paul Flato (1900 – 1999) is remembered as one of the first major American jewelers to create highly imaginative work with a technical skill on par with his European counterparts. Raised in Texas, Flato moved to New York in 1920 to study at Columbia University, quickly abandoning his studies to pursue his true passion in the jewelry trade. After years as an apprentice, Flato opened his New York boutique in 1928 and by the mid-1930s he had established himself as the jeweler to fashionable society. It was during this time that he employed Fulco di Verdura, and other brilliant designers, earning Flato’s jewels the reputation of being both important and whimsical in equal measure.

In 1938, Flato moved to Los Angeles and opened his second boutique on Sunset Boulevard, catering to the burgeoning stars of a young Hollywood. Flato’s glittering clientele included Rita Hayworth, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Marlene Deitrich and Katherine Hepburn, with some of his jewels even contributing to the costume wardrobes of several of these stars’ films.

Flato’s good fortunes of the 1930s and ‘40s came to an end in 1943 when he was imprisoned for grand larceny, with two more prison stints in the years following. After Flato’s final release in 1966, he was determined to reinvent himself and moved to Mexico City. In 1970, Flato opened a boutique in the fashionable Zona Rosa neighborhood, where he would remain for the next two decades.

A frequent visitor to the Anthropological Museum, Flato drew inspiration from Mayan and Aztec artifacts, indigenous culture and local materials. Textured gold, fire opals, unpolished emeralds, animalistic motifs and Mexican coins were all used in exuberant color combinations, true to his earlier design ethos. Flato also referenced the past in his jewels of this period, with this particular bracelet recalling a mid-century design aesthetic. In fact, the only indicator that this is a later jewel by Flato is the distinct cursive signature, so recognizable from the latter part of his career.

After a life defined by three eras in three cities, Flato successfully proved that his style could evolve to exceed the expectations of jewelry connoisseurs across North America. Following his successful return to the jewelry industry with his popular Zona Rosa boutique, Flato finally retired in 1990 to spend his last years in Texas with his family.