Bejeweled miniature rabbits in regulation blue blazers picked out in glittering sapphires and svelte enamel, cavorting foxes in evening dress clutching mint julep cups crafted from slivers of emeralds, and exquisitely delicate Art Deco sapphire bracelets—these quirky yet luxe objects are typical of make up the astonishingly creative output of jeweler Raymond C. Yard (1885–1964).

"With Yard, the workmanship is phenomenal and the whimsy a pure delight," says Daphne

"Rabbit Caddy," 1929, diamonds, rubies, platinum and enamel, $35,000.

Lingon, Christie's New York jewelry expert, referring to Yard's cunning animals in full costume, some toting golf bags in a cavalier manner. Even so, the Manhattan jeweler who lit up the Art Deco period with both his humor and understated elegance is hardly a household name.

To the non-cognoscenti, Raymond C. Yard (1885-1964), the son of a New Jersey railway conductor, started small and blazed a path to artistry and success. At age 13, he began working as a door boy for noted Manhattan jeweler Marcus & Co. before moving on to stringing pearls and later to sales. Fast forward to 1922. No less a figure than financial titan John D. Rockefeller Jr. set up the talented jeweler in business on Fifth Avenue and sent his storied friends to him.

The cream of society, from the Vanderbilts, Woolworths and du Ponts to the Harrimans, descended on Yard's doorstep. "His clients were truly American royalty," says Natasha Kuzmanovic, a jewelry historian, who is penning a long overdue book on Yard for Vendome Press due out in 2007. Also, Yard soon added to his clientele by drawing in the stylish Hollywood set like Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

"Then, no one else was creating jewels like Raymond Yard," says gemologist Bob Gibson, who heads the Yard firm, which is tucked inside Madison Avenue's chic Carlyle Hotel. The jewel box-like boutique showcases vintage Yard jewels as well as contemporary renditions.

Just as Yard injected his brooches and bracelets with a dash of humor in the grim
years of the Depression, he also pioneered unconventional pairings of stones. For example, he dribbled sapphires over a necklace of moonstones set in platinum, imparting a subtle palette of blues to the piece.

Special commissions were a huge part of Yard's business. Gibson has retained all of the original records, complete with designs in watercolor and clients’ requests written in fine script. "Few other jewelers kept as complete records as Yard," says Kuzmanovic. In all, over 3,000 archival designs remain, executed in delicate watercolors.