On Friday, April 25, Tiffany Dubin captivated an esteemed audience at the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach during ArtSpeaks: The Intersection of Art and Jewelry. The event, introduced by Ghislain d’Humieres, Norton’s Director and CEO, explored how jewelry evolved throughout the 20th century, breaking away from traditional roles to become a powerful form of artistic expression.
Dubin, a renowned expert at the convergence of art, fashion, and jewelry, opened the conversation by offering a fresh perspective: “Tonight, we’ll explore a new way of looking at both art and jewelry history,” she explained. “Jewelry is a reflection of its time—a medium where personal identity, artistic innovation, and cultural change converge.”
Her talk traced the origins of this transformation, beginning with Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom and the Belle Époque era. Dubin highlighted the evolution of jewelry as it was redefined by figures like Sarah Bernhardt, Marlene Dietrich, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Sheikha Moza of Qatar. “The women who wore these works were not only muses but also collaborators and cultural barometers. Their jewelry mirrored the changing tides of history—challenging conventions, sparking conversation, and embodying art in motion.”
She delved into the contributions of legendary artists—from René Jules Lalique to interwar pioneers like Jean Dunand, Surrealists such as Alberto Giacometti, Max Ernst, Meret Oppenheim, and Salvador Dalí, as well as postwar sculptors like César and Bernar Venet—who reimagined jewelry as more than mere decoration, elevating it to a profound form of artistic expression.
The event, held in a sold-out auditorium, was attended by notable guests including James de Givenchy, Mark Gennerman, Pamela Gross, Jane Lauder, and Michael Penn. Following the lecture, a private dinner in Dubin’s honor was hosted by Amy Hoadley at Club Colette.
Tiffany Dubin’s career spans over two decades, with a deep expertise in auction houses, curatorial work, and retail innovation. She spearheaded Art as Jewelry as Art at Sotheby’s, which established a new category for artist-made jewelry and showcased wearable masterpieces by icons like Alexander Calder, Man Ray, Salvador Dalí, and Picasso. As Sotheby’s Artist Jewelry Specialist, she helped blur the lines between fine art and adornment. Dubin also founded Sotheby’s Fashion Department, curating 20th-century couture, photography, and accessories, bridging the gap between fashion and the decorative arts. Today, she continues to collect and speak on a global scale