Angela Cummings

Born in Austria, 1944, three years later her parents relocated to the United States. Angela returned to Europe to study gold smithery and gemmology in Germany, and art history in Italy. This education gave her an erudite edge to her designs.

After graduating she returned to America, taking a position at Tiffany & Co. in 1968. She was guided by the already well established designer, Donald Claflin also designing at that time for Tiffany’s.

Tiffany & Co.

In 1975, while still working at Tiffany’s, she launched her own independent collection. Angela continued working for Tiffany’s until 1984. For her exceptional work during this time, she is one of the few designer’s, along with her contemporaries Donald Claflin, Paloma Picasso and Elsa Peretti, given the honour of signing their own work at the legendary New York jewellery firm.

Going Solo

In the same year she left Tiffany’s, she established her own business with her husband, Bruce Cummings, a gemmologist who had also been working at Tiffany’s. Needless to say, Angela’s imagination flourished designing without the constraints of Tiffany’s. Her creativity gained new freedom, integrating south sea pearls and black diamonds with silver to create a unique pieces.

The first “Angela Cummings Fine Jewellery Boutique’ opened in the New York department store, Bergdorf Goodman on 5th Avenue. The success of this boutique led to Cummings quickly expanding to open more in Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Saks 5th Avenue.

Angela encouraged a democratisation of Fine Jewellery, with prices ranging from $100-$100,000, consciously to reach all budgets.

Angela Cummings has also adapted to design other objects. She collaborated with Candie’s, an American fashion brand. With Candie’s she designed a series of shoes sold in aid of the American Cancer Society. Cummings also collaborated with Estee Lauder to produce a limited edition collection of miniature perfume bottles that double as pendants.

Retirement

In 2003 Angela retired, moving to Utah with her family and closing all of her boutiques. Ten years later, however, she was tempted back into designing a limited edition collection for the pearl specialist Assael. The series of only twenty-five pearl jewellery pieces  are set in both platinum and gold and feature diamond accents. She described the project as “A lot of fun”.

Inspirations

Angela Cumming’s distinct designs for both Tiffany & Co. and independently remain highly collectable for their modernity in form and adaptability to all occasions.

Angela’s Cumming’s signature preoccupation is with nature. Her designs have a distinctive biomorphic handling of metal. For example her iconic, Rose Petal Gold necklace and earring suite are executed with a remarkably lifelike form and detailing.

She tends to favour unorthodox materials for Fine Jewellery, such as lapis lazuli, black jade and black opals, as well as natural materials such as coral, wood, and mother of pearl.

The sensuous contours of her designs, typically centred around a natural form, such as the Gingko leaf, gives her work a modern art nouveau look.