A Brief History

Antique jewellery is defined as jewellery that was made before 1830 — the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. However, most people consider jewellery made prior to 1900 (primarily Georgian and Victorian) as antique, and pieces made in the early 20th century (Edwardian, Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Retro) as collectible. For descriptions of the different periods of antique and collectible jewellery available in today's marketplace, read on.

Georgian Period 1714-1830

Georgian jewellery refers to jewellery made during the years when the four King Georges ruled Great Britain. This period encompassed most of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. During the early Georgian period (George I, 1714-1727), the French Rococo style dominated the arts. There wasn't a specific 'British' style of jewellery during this period, like there was in the Victorian period. The jewellery of this period consisted largely of nature pieces, including designs with birds, flowers, leaves, insects, and feathers. They were delicate and light, and many were set on a spring so that they trembled. Those pieces set with precious gemstones were unique — they were entirely handmade. Most pieces were encrusted with gemstones, and the type of metal used to create pieces was of secondary importance. The most popular motifs of this time for diamonds were baskets of flowers, sprays of foliage, and feather plumes. Jewellery pieces with less precious gemstones were also produced in greater quantities, using coral, garnets, turquoise, and even paste.

Victorian Period 1837-1900

The Victorian period began with the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1837. Victoria loved jewellery and was very influential in the designs of this time. Two words that help define this time period are quantity and variety. Due to the Industrial Revolution, there was a growing middle class, and successful businessmen lavished expensive jewels on their wives to display their wealth. With industrialisation came the development of new tools and new technologies for mining metals. Processes were developed to mass-produce jewellery, such as the stamping of gold settings. Up until this time, France had been the undisputed leader in jewellery design, but with the reign of Queen Victoria, Great Britain began to play a major role. Queen Victoria reigned from 1838-1901, and she wore prolific amounts of jewellery throughout her lifetime.

Arts & Crafts Movement 1894-1923

During the Victorian Period, a small group of craftsmen rebelled against the mass production of jewellery that had resulted from the Industrial Revolution. They mourned the loss of high-quality craftsmanship and handiwork that came from years of jewellery-making experience. Arts and Crafts jewellers made each piece of jewellery by hand from start to finish, and were therefore opposed to any specialisation of their craft. They preferred to work mainly with silver, using uncut and cabochon-cut stones. Colour was also important, and they used brightly coloured enamels. Most of the jewellery produced in this style was poorly made, since it was made by students and untrained amateurs. However, there were a number of jewellers who were members of the guilds—C.R. Ashbee, Henry Wilson, and Harold Stabler, to name a few—who produced quality jewellery for which this period is celebrated. A number of firms were also mass-producing jewellery in this style: Liberty & Co., Charles Horner's, and Murrle, Bennett & Co.

Art Nouveau Period 1890-1915

The end of the 19th century was a time of much change—a period of rapid colonial expansion that opened the door to a whole New World of exotic ideas and designs. During this time, creativity and originality flourished. The Art Nouveau period took the artistic inspiration of the Arts and Crafts movement and produced a variety of jewellery, remarkably fresh and beautiful in design and craftsmanship. The jewellers of this time were less concerned with valuable gemstones than with the overall effect of each piece. Silver and gold were used in conjunction with materials like ivory and horn. Feminine figurines, flowers, scrolls, and insects in colourful enamels were used throughout this period in the United States and Europe, with France once again dominating the movement. Louis Comfort Tiffany was the American jewellery designer best known for his work in Art Nouveau designs. Many of the pieces of this era were so large that they were, and still are, considered works of art. These larger pieces were worn in theatrical productions by famous actresses of the time, such as Sarah Bernhardt. They were very valuable, and many can now be found in museums, including the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, Maryland and the Gulbenkian Museum in Portugal.

Edwardian Period 1901-1914

The Edwardian Period began with the popular "invisible" settings of diamonds. The larger jewellery houses, unlike artisans working in the Art Nouveau or Arts & Crafts styles, concentrated on developing better ways of setting precious stones. When Queen Victoria died in 1901, her son, Edward VII, became King with, the Princess of Wales, Alexandra, as his queen. Alexandra was a trendsetter in the fashion world, and new styles of jewellery were designed to go with the profusion of lace, silks, and diamonds that well-dressed Edwardian women wore. Diamonds were essential in this era and were beleived to be best showcased by using platinum settings. Diamonds in platinum settings were designed to resemble gauze bows, honeycomb patterns, and petit-point embroidery. Millegrain (a method using thin bands and tiny grains of platinum) was used to make settings appear invisible, and knife-edge design and hinges allowed each piece to have movement. The diamond jewellery of this era is still considered to be of outstanding quality. Never before, and not since, has diamond jewellery been created to such a high standard. Other stones such as rubies, amethysts, opals, and emeralds were used in conjunction with diamonds to add colour and interest. Another popular style of this era was the "negligee pendant," two stones or pearls hanging at different lengths from a central diamond. With the onset of World War I, the carefree Edwardian life came to an end and changed society dramatically.

Art Deco Period 1920-1935

World War I's end brought about many changes in the social structure. Women were becoming increasingly assertive partly as a result of their participation in the work force during the war. A new class of wealthy people who profited from the war had the money to purchase luxuries. Art Deco, named after the 1925 Paris Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, was the most popular style of decorative arts between the world wars. The jewellery of this period was derived from the Art Nouveau style with its colours and motifs. With the introduction of Cubism after 1925, jewellery was designed with strong geometrical patterns that the Art Deco era is associated with today. Art Deco jewellery was very ornamental and became more geometrical over the years.

After World War I, glamour became important as the nouveau riche entered society. It was a time of luxury goods, and it became a thriving market for expensive jewellery designs. Colour was popular, new extravagant shapes were used, and all different stones were set in each piece. Fashion Designers had a great impact on this era, most notably, Coco Chanel who was known for her use of faux pearls and costume jewellery. Jewellery of this time was made by well-known jewellers such as Cartier, Boucheron, and Van Cleef and Arpels. Harry Winston and Tiffany & Co. also designed Art Deco jewels. Even artists like Picasso, Man Ray, Dali, and Calder designed jewellery. Like the other jewellery periods, Art Deco was affected by the events of the time; first the Depression, and then the beginning of World War II. These events eventually brought this era to its end.

Retro Period 1935-1949

During this era, all luxury production came to a halt in Europe as resources were devoted to World War II. The jewellery industry was most notably affected, where all platinum and most of the gold and silver were needed to help fund the war. The United States was also suffering from the effects of the Depression, but it was starting to enjoy the prosperity generated by the war in Europe. During this time, the American jewellery market finally made its impression and the USA became the centre for design and production of fine jewellery. Jewellery of this period had an "American" look, which was influenced by Hollywood stars. The style of this era had an architectural flavour with large coloured stones set in gold in brooches, rings, and bracelets. As the United States became more involved in the war, the style became less romantic and more militaristic. This continued until after the war, when styles began to soften and more traditional themes of animals and nature returned.

The preceding article was written using information from The Official® Identification and Price Guide to Antique jewellery by Arthur Guy Kaplan.