New York · founded 1948 by David Webb
Vintage David Webb
David Webb founded his New York workshop in 1948 and built a reputation on bold enamel and gold, above all the hinged animal bracelets in white enamel with gemstone eyes. The work is heavy, hand made and unmistakable, and pieces are signed and stamped for the metal standard.
The house
Webb arrived in New York from North Carolina as a teenager and was running his own business by his twenties, working for American clients who wanted jewelry with presence.
The house is associated with hammered yellow gold, Maltese cross motifs, carved rock crystal and the enamelled zoomorphic bracelets that remain its signature.
The workshop has continued to produce from the original drawings after Webb's death in 1975, so a design alone does not date a piece; the marks and construction do.
How to recognize the work
- Thick, hand applied enamel with crisp edges against hammered or textured gold
- Animal bracelets built on a hinge with a concealed clasp and real weight
- Carved rock crystal, coral and turquoise used in scale
- American mid-century boldness rather than European restraint
What the marks mean
- A signature reading Webb or David Webb
- A metal standard such as 18K or PLAT
- Copyright and date related marks on some pieces
- Enamel and stone work that should match the quality of the signature
Buy carefully
Enamel chips and is often restored. We say when enamel has been repaired, because on this house the quality and originality of the enamel is central to value.
Common questions
Are David Webb animal bracelets still made?
The workshop has continued to produce designs from the archive, so both period and later examples exist. We date by the marks and construction of the individual piece.
Can chipped enamel be repaired?
It can, by a specialist, but restoration is visible under magnification and it affects value. We disclose any restoration we can identify.
Are you an authorized dealer?
No. We are an independent estate jeweler and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by the house. We buy signed pieces from European estates, examine and photograph the signature, numbers and metal marks, and describe exactly what we can and cannot establish.
Shop the pieces
Signed David Webb in stock
Estate pieces signed David Webb, photographed mark and all. Each one is a single example.
Nothing matching this is available right now. Every piece is a single example and sells once, so this changes weekly. Browse everything in stock or ask our buyers to look for it.