Our Story

In 1965, as head of the jewelry division for an international auction house, Ward Landrigan noticed certain distinctive jewels rarely made it to the auction block. He later realized these were the work of two very different jewelers. One was the widely known and publicized Duke di Verdura, the other a mystery. Her daring jewelry was unsigned – with only French hallmarks and the stamp of a renowned Parisian workshop. That Suzanne Belperron had remained unknown was no accident. Unlike the gregarious duke, she was intensely private. Asked once why she never signed her jewelry she replied, “my style is my signature”.

In 1985, Ward Landrigan purchased the Verdura archives and began rebuilding the company. Two years later a full-page article appeared in London, entitled “What Ever Happened to the Duchess of Windsor's Verdura Jewels?” about the upcoming auction of her famous jewelry collection. While the Geneva sale brought a record of more than fifty million dollars, Landrigan didn’t manage to buy a single piece. Despite this disappointment, it was the sixteen Belperron jewels in the Duchess’ collection that made his trip worthwhile – Landrigan caught the Belperron bug. When he had the opportunity to buy Belperron’s name and archive twelve years later, he didn’t hesitate.

Today Landrigan’s son Nico, President of Verdura, is responsible for re-launching Belperron. Beginning with a richly illustrated biography entitled BELPERRON: My Style is My Signature, (in development), Nico and Ward will pay homage to the 20th Century’s greatest female master jeweler.

Company Information

The name and copyright to the archives of Suzanne Belperron, whose work was also known under the names B. Herz and Herz-Belperron, are owned by Belperron, LLC, a privately-held corporation. A selection of Belperron’s original pieces is available for sale at the New York Verdura flagship store at 745 Fifth Avenue, where her archive of over 6,000 designs and inventory books reside. The official book, BELPERRON: My Style is My Signature, together with a collection of her jewelry, is in production.

For more information on Ward Landrigan, Nico Landrigan or Verdura, please go to www.verdura.com/company-info.