William Ruser “Wednesday’s Child” Brooch
A charming and highly collectible mid-century jewel by celebrated Beverly Hills jeweler William Ruser, this figural brooch depicts “Wednesday’s Child” from the traditional nursery rhyme Monday’s Child.
Sculpted in 14K yellow gold, the wistful child sits alongside a loyal dog upon three luminous American freshwater pearl “clouds.” Four blue sapphires form the eyes of the figures, adding bright points of color to Ruser’s wonderfully expressive composition.
The reverse is engraved “WEDNESDAY’S CHILD IS FULL OF WOE,” directly connecting the jewel to the nursery rhyme that inspired Ruser’s celebrated Day of the Week brooches.
Ruser became renowned for transforming the unusual natural forms of American freshwater pearls into imaginative figures, animals and whimsical scenes. Because the shape of each pearl informed the finished design, individual Ruser pearl jewels possess their own character and no two examples are precisely alike.
Created circa 1940s–1950s, this brooch captures the wit, storytelling and Hollywood-era glamour that made Ruser one of the most distinctive American jewelers of the mid-20th century.
William Ruser (1908–1994) was a celebrated American jeweler known for transforming unusually shaped American freshwater pearls into imaginative figural jewels.
After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Ruser and his wife, Pauline, opened their Beverly Hills jewelry salon in 1947. His whimsical pearl creations attracted a prominent Hollywood clientele that included Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Loretta Young and Shirley Temple.
Ruser's celebrated “Day of the Week” brooches were inspired by the traditional nursery rhyme Monday's Child. Each jewel interprets one of the rhyme's seven verses through sculpted gold, naturally shaped pearls and colored gemstones.
Because the individual form of each freshwater pearl helped determine Ruser's design, no two examples are precisely alike, giving these playful mid-century jewels an individual character that continues to appeal to collectors.
This is a one-of-a-kind estate jewel. Because Ruser worked with individually shaped freshwater pearls, no two examples are precisely alike.
