Ah-May-Zing Spring Jewels- on Friday

Today's art nouveau jewel honors the hot fecundity that has gripped the Mid Atlantic since we skipped spring and went straight to summer.  The blooming trees are playing catch up; you can imagine them panting as they strain to pop, pop, pop their blossoms. 


 A French Art Nouveau 18 karat gold brooch by Paul Lienard, with carved ivory bleeding heart flowers with 6 pear shape ruby centers (approx. .70 carats) and plique-a-jour enamel leaves. Found on 1st Dibs for Macklowe Gallery.

It is sweetly seditious, no?  Ah, Paul...you were so cleverly naughty!  And because it is Black Friday, let's have another knee-weakening, floral beauty made by Lienard at the turn of the century...

Brooch designed as a carved moonstone female face, enhanced by an opalescent and pale green plique-a-jour enamel and green gold headdress, with old mine-cut diamond and matte-finished black enamel detail, suspending a freshwater pearl drop, mounted in 18k gold, from Christie's Important Jewels, December 1996.

The craftsmanship of the second outshines the first, but they are both compelling.  Which would you wear?  Why?