Antique Art Nouveau bracelet 14k gold amethysts made Newark signed Bippart (7717)

Antique Art Nouveau bracelet bangle. 14k yellow gold and amethysts. American. Made in Newark, New Jersey by Bippart, Griscom & Osborn. circa 1900. Measurements: Weight is 19.3 grams. Approximately 7 1/2 inches (19cm) long. Approximately 11mm across at widest part. Description : Flexible bracelet composed of alternating sections in gold and amethysts in gold mounts. Gold stations have an organic appearance with gentle swooping movement in the curving, elongated Art Nouveau fashion. Each link is overlapped by a pair of flowers - one facing front and one facing back. Long and short foliage adding detail and with curving form, again conveying the Art Nouveau sense of style. Louping the flowers and foliage, we see great attention to detail in the textured surfaces. The alternating stations are ovals of gold concentric frames around deep purple, Siberian amethyst gems. The sections are joined via small gold links that allow the bracelet to bend around the wearer's arm. Radiating light and shining bright. Tongue in groove clasp is secure and in good working order. In addition, like many high end, valuable bracelets, there is a gold safety chain that appears to be original to the bracelet. Marks and Metal: Signed and marked on the back of the clasp: 14k and the mark for the maker, Bippart, Griscom & Osborn, which looks like a flaming torch. Condition: Good with negligible wear commensurate with age. Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer. THE STORY: Originally, the best quality amethysts were mined in the Ural mountains of Siberia. The name has stuck and is applied to deep purple stones. The color combination of purple and gold is superbly effective - being complementary colors that show one another off to best effect. The bright contrast of color and the fine detail of the design draw the eye on every level. Newark, New Jersey was one of America’s great centers of fine gold jewelry manufacturing, and Bippart, Griscom & Osborn was among its most respected firms. They were renowned especially for Art Nouveau jewelry. The business was founded in the mid-1880s by Achill Bippart as Bippart & Co., and it took the name Bippart, Griscom & Osborn in 1901, when Benjamin Griscom became a partner alongside Bennet Osborn Jr. Among their contributions, were a number of patents, including for bracelet mechanisms. In 1912 a Newark Board of Trade publication described the company as widely and favorably known throughout the American jewelry trade. When the business closed in the 1930s, its tools and dies were bought by Krementz & Co., another famous Newark maker. Today, signed Bippart pieces are sought after by collectors of American Art Nouveau jewelry.