The wonderful love story of Mae West's jewels
From a recent report by The Adventurine, the fascinating story that lies behind some extraordinary pieces owned by the legendary Mae West emerges.
In particular, Marion Fasel emphasizes that she discovered Mae West's wonderful Art Deco diamond bracelet during a speech on jewelry in films. The actress arrived in Hollywood around 1930 directly from the stages of New York’s vaudeville: a star who had told that city and its habits of the time and who managed to shape her character and her style so much to be loved and praised like the divine Greta Garbo or Marlene Dietrich.
And so much so that the famous designer Elsa Schiaparelli used her hourglass figure as an inspiration for the Shocking perfume bottle.
In 1935 she was one of the highest paid women in America and in her autobiography she wrote: "With this kind of income, I sometimes pay myself in jewels". Yes, because Mae West collected jewels of different styles and she liked to combine the golden age diamond necklaces with large 20s diamond bracelets and all kinds of big rings once again studded with diamonds.
When the Second World War broke out, she sold a large part of her jewels to the British Royal Air Force, so much so that the flight crew had named the inflatable life jacket in her honor. During the 1950s, West owned a famous nightclub in Las Vegas, where men of the caliber of Joe Gold worked, who founded Gold's Gym, Mariska Hargitay's father, Mickey, Mr. Universe and a wrestler named Charles Krauser. The latter, thirty years younger than the actress, was totally enraptured.
He chased her incessantly until she gave in to his advances.
The couple remained together until her death at the age of 87 in 1980 and West bequeathed her jewelry to Krauser who did not deprive himself of it for profit.
Neil Lane, moved by this beautiful love story, has bought the Art Deco bracelet in diamonds for his collection, and today lends it to other Hollywood stars on special occasions. As in the case of Madonna, who wore it in her 2006 Hollywood movie.
