koch
The house of Koch has produced some of the finest examples of belle epoque jewellery for a glittering array of European royalty. Their clients ranged from the Prince of Wales, the King of Italy, the Tsar of Russia and Germany’s Kaiser.
The firm was established in 1879 by Robert and Louis Koch in Frankfurt, Germany. Together the brothers quickly gained an admirable reputation for their high quality craftsmanship and beautifully arranged designs. After only a few years of business they expanded to larger premises on the corner of Kaiserstrasse and Mainzerstrasse in central Frankfurt. For their new location the Koch brothers commissioned prestigious architect, Paul Wallot, to design their boutique. The employment of Wallot, a famous architect responsible for the palatial German landmark, ‘Reichstag’, is a testament to the high profile status Koch had gained and wished to display in their flagship boutique.
Koch continued to prosper during the 1880s-90s with European aristocracy and American socialites alike flocking through their doors. At this time Koch was hailed as the “Cartier of Germany”. In tune with the dominating social ‘season’, Robert and Louis opened a second branch in the fashionable seasonal spa resort in Baden-Baden. From here Koch could continue supplying jewels to Europe’s upper classes who annually descended on the spa.
In 1902 Robert Koch died, leaving his brother to run the firm through the upheaval of the First World War (1914-18) and the economically damaged post war period. After Louis’s own death in 1930, the firm was led by his grandsons and nephews until the company was transferred to Robert Bosch under the oppressive Nazi regime. The Koch family soon lost control of the business all together but jewellery was still produced from the workshop that bore their name.
Koch finally closed its doors in 1987. However, their early pieces remain highly collectable, reaching high prices on the secondary market. The legacy of Robert and Louis Koch continues to stand as an exemplar of Germany’s finest 19th century jewellers.
Style/Major Collections
Between 1879-1987 the house ‘Koch’ has produced some legendary pieces of fine jewellery for the princely houses in Germany and other European royalty. Many of these private commissions were for tiaras.
Kaister Wilhelm II commissioned Koch to create a tiara for his daughter, Princess Viktoria Luise, upon her marriage to the Duke of Brunswick in 1913.
The diamond and platinum tiara, known as ‘The Prussian Tiara’, is an exceptional example of the petite ‘kokoshnik’ style popular at the time. The top panel has a symmetrical band of laurel leaves meeting at the centre and along the bottom runs a geometric ‘meander’ style motif adapted from ancient Greek decoration. In the centre a magnificent pear shaped diamond is set ‘en tremblant’ to enhance the flash and glitter of the stones with the movement of the wearer. The tiara has been passed down for three generations from eldest daughter to eldest daughter and is now owned by Queen Sofia of Spain, who also wore it on her wedding day.
Another example of Koch’s fine craftsmanship is seen in the ‘Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara’. This impressive piece was created in 1905 for Richard, the 4th prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg as a gift for his new bride, Princess Madeliene of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Berleburg. The dazzling fridge tiara was ingeniously set so it can also be worn as a necklace.
Koch’s reputation declined somewhat after the death of its founders and the social upheaval of the war decades. Yet Koch continued to manufacture. The 1950s saw a short revival with some pieces from this time remaining popular on the secondary market. However, the house of Koch is best remembered for its fine de siècle pieces which is regarded as the firm’s Golden Era.