Diane Love began her jewelry making career designing pieces for herself, an art of self-expression. She studied both art history and studio art at Barnard, and her designs were greatly influenced by Egyptian, Medieval and Byzantine art and artefacts. In 1971, she opened a well-known boutique under her name on Madison Ave in New York City, selling jewelry, decorative arts, and fashion accessories.
Around the same time as she opened her shop, Love contacted the Trifari Company about designing a line of costume jewelry incorporating replicas of antique objects and artefacts. For Trifari, Love created several collections resulting in more than 60 designs for the firm.
In a 2013 interview, Love was asked what her favorite piece from the Trifari Collection was; she responded: “Probably the Egyptian collar with the god Shekmet which I am wearing in the first Trifari ad. It reflects everything I strove to achieve in the collection: the exact replica of the original Egyptian artifact with its blackened finish, boldness, a collar that conforms to the body, cabochon stones set in bezels, 18K green gold plating and a hammered finish. I am pleased too with the way the plates of the collar are linked together with simple hook-like rings, and the clasp is also a simple hook, in keeping, I think, with the feel of something that might have been worn 2,000 years ago.”
Each piece in The Diane Love Collection for Trifari was accompanied by historical information about the art object that inspired the design. The collection, distributed across the nation, was a great success and received a lot of press.
It’s about wearing art, not having it in a case at home. I dress simply, so as to showcase my jewelry.
Diane Love
