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Sndgems jewelry guides are easy to use, interesting and helpful guide to buying jewelry onle. Our jewelry guides are indispensable guide to judging jewelry characterstics, distinguishing genuine from imitation, making wise choices, useful to all type of consumers, from professional jewelry to online searchers. Our diamond guides help everyone in viewing diamonds as gemologists, diamond experts, diamond dealers, experienced lapidaries, diamond buyers and online customers. Our diamond guides dissects each aspect of diamond value in detail with a wealth of diamond grading information. Our gemstone guides help everyone in viewing colored gemstones as gemologists, gem dealers, experienced lapidaries, gem buyers and online customers. Our gemstone guides dissects each aspect of ruby, sapphire, ruby value in detail with a wealth of gemstone grading information. Our guides offers step-by-step instructions for how to examine and judge the quality and craftsmanship and materials even if you dont know anything about jewelry. If you're thinking of buying jewelry online this guide is a best place to start. Our guides will help you to know about jewelry details such as finishes, settings, flaws and fakes. Our guides cover diamonds, gemstones, jewelry craftsmanship, treatments, diamond and gems sources, appraisals. There is something for everyone. Antique Jewelry, Vintage Jewelry, Art Deco Jewelry, Art Noveau Jewelry, Edwardian Jewelry, Victorian Jewelry Buying Guides
Jewelry History is a history
of beautiful Antique jewelry more popularly known as Vintage jewelry and has
inspired innumerable jewelers, celebrities and jewelry lovers all over the
world in modern times . It is simply exquisite and is loved because of its
distinctive designs, scarcity, purity, quality of materials and finely crafted
meticulous work done by the jewelers on each exotic piece of jewelry. To
appreciate and understand, jewelry history and the magnificient antique jewelry
designs we need to have an understanding of the jewelry eras from which these
unique pieces of jewelry were derived. The major
jewelry eras are under
Jewelry History - Inspirations form The Historical
Jewelry Eras
The major jewelry eras are under
The Ancient Era Jewelry (4000B.C.- 476
B.C.)
The Medieval Era Jewelry (476 –
1450)
The Renaissance Era Jewelry
(1450-1600)
The Elizabethan Era Jewelry (1558 –
1603)
The Baroque Era Jewelry (1600 –
1750)
The Georgian Era Jewelry (1760 –
1837)
The Regency Era Jewelry (1812 –
1830)
The Victorian Era Jewelry (1837 –
1901)
The Art Nouveau Era jewelry ( 1890 –
1915)
The Edwardian Era Jewelry (1901 –
1919)
The Art Deco Era Jewelry (1920 –
1935)
The Retro Era Jewelry or the Estate Jewelry
Era ( 1935 – 1950)
The Elizabethan Jewelry Era (1558 –
1603)
The Baroque Jewelry Era (1600 –
1750)
The Georgian Jewelry Era
The Georgian period of jewelry was
named after the kings who ruled during that period, i.e
England’s Kings George I, II and III. During this time the
aristocrats were famous for their love for jewels and jewelry. They wore a large
number of jewels on their coat buttons, knee breeches and shoe buckles too had
jewels. Women would wear a complete matching jewelry set that consisted of a
matching necklace, ring, bracelets, earrings and a tiara. Crowned Heart Design was very common
in rings for women. All jewelry of the Georgian era was
lighter, more airy and was handmade, so was not
perfect . Georgian jewelry is characterized by exquisite high Karat gold, berlin
iron and pinchbeck metal work along with Old Mine cut, Rose Cut
and Table Cut Stones. Mine Cut or
Rose
Cut diamonds were the norm. These showed fewer facets, with more
variations than modern stones. Mine cuts have a flat top; Rose cuts have a
pointed top.
Common motifs of this era are
stars, ribbons, scrolls and flowers. Popular trends were, cameos, intaglios,
mourning jewelry or
"memento mori
, Chatelaines ,
floral designs, neoclassical motifs, Berlin iron and painted
miniatures. Jewelry that comes apart to form different pieces is highly prized
from this era. For example : A piece that initially looks to be a necklace might
be designed to come apart and form two bracelets - or a bracelet could become a
brooch and earrings. Jewelry of this period has its inpiration from the
styles and trends in arts, architecture and interior decoration popular in
Greek, Roman, Gothic, Rococo and Pompeiian
At the beginning of the Georgian period diamonds were the main
stone used for jewelry designing and diamond cutters discovered exciting gem
cuts like the rose cut, cushion cut, and brilliant cuts. In the 1750's colored
precious stones like emeralds, rubies, and sapphires were worn along with new
stones like white-imperial-pink topazes, amethyst, chartreuse chrysoberyl,
coral, ivory, pearls, and garnets. As an alternative to diamond the use of
paste, rock crystal, marcasite, and cut steel was also very common. Many of the
rare Georgian pieces of jewelry have been redesigned
to reflect more contemporary designs and are highly prized
collectibles
The Regency Jewelry Era (1812 – 1830)
The Victorian Jewelry Era (1837 –
1901)
The
early Victorian era`s romantic vintage jewelry is characterized by nature
themes. In this era jewelry was made from gold. Popular jewelry items include
brooches, lockets for day wear and diamonds and colored gemstones for the
evenings. The Mid Victorian era jewelry designs have an undertone of “mourning”
which is clearly reflected in the use of dark stones, such as onyx, jet,
amethyst and garnet. Grave designs
configured. Shells, mosaics, and colorful gems were often incorporated
into a piece. In the late Victorian era jewelry designs were lively and
vibrating and there was frequent use of precious stones like diamonds,
sapphires, peridot and spinel in the design of every piece of jewelry. Use of
shapes like, stars, crescents etc with inspiration from outer space was the
trend.
The Art Nouveau Jewelry Era ( 1890 –
1915)
The Art Nouveau style first developed
in an effort to bring originality and unique beauty back to jewelry as jewelry
in the Victorian period became more available due to mass production, as a
result of the industrial revolution. In 1861, William Morris with the support
and collaboration of other artists in England started the Arts and crafts
Movement not supporting the 19th century artistic designs. Though his movement did not gain too much
momentem in England, his thoughts greatly inspired a Belgian architect Victor
Horta, who began designing a building “la Maison Tassel”, in the art nouveau style. In Brussels too some artists were inspired by William
Morris` movement and tried to develop new art forms. Finally, in 1895 the word
art nouveau was coined in France. This was a name given to a showroom of new
arts owned by a japanese art collector, Siegfried Bing.
The Art Nouveau jewelry featured designs that were curvy,
mystical and fluid. The style, was most often characterized by beautiful young
women with flowing hair that graced lockets, brooches and rings, sash pins and
buckles. Another unique characteristic of The Art Nouveau jewelry is that it has
fluid lines made of stylized vines, flowers and foliage. Typical images included
nude female figures, heads, insects, crescents and common plants. Exotic art
inspirations from Japan, which had then opened to the west in 1853, had a great
influence on Art Nouveau Jewelry designs. Art Nouveau Jewelry
designs are also influenced by
Celtic, Gothic and Rococo art. During this period materials were not as important as design and
craftsmanship. Apart from, gold , silver and diamonds many different materials
like horns, copper, tortoise-shell, ivory, carved glass, shells, pearls, and
gemstones cut in cabochon were used with a number of varied gemstones like
amber, opals, blister pearls, moonstones, citrines and peridots to design Art
Nouveau jewelry . A beautiful enameling technique called the Plique A'Jour was
highly in demand during those days. Some famous designers of this age were Rene
Lalique, Louis Tiffany, Karl Faberge, George Fouquet, William Kerr and Unger
Brothers. By 1915 the Art Nouveau was no longer considered a style statement, it
became old fashioned and faded away. Many of the rare Art Nouveau pieces of
jewelry have been redesigned using precious gems like diamond, ruby, emerald,
sapphire and color diamond to reflect more modern designs and are highly prized
collectibles.
The Edwardian Jewelry Era (1901 –
1919)
The Edwardian Period lasted from 1901 to 1919. King Edward
VII and Queen Alexandria, led the English society to a new level of
sophistication and style in fashions and jewelry which is till today highly in
demand. Jewelers used platinum and diamonds to create intricate and delicate
filigree patterns that resembled lace and the houses of Cartier and Tiffany
dominated jewelry design. Light and airy designs became hallmarks of
Edwardian jewelry. Edwardian lady wore lots of open, lacy jewelry imitating the
Indian Maharajahs whose jewelry designs the queen loved. Pearls were quite
fashionable, along with jewels for the hair, or "tiaras" combined with beautiful
dangling earrings. King Edward enjoyed sports and encouraged the use of sporting
motifs. He also helped make his good luck stone, the peridot, very popular. The
elegance, beauty and superb craftsmanship of Edwardian jewelry has remained
unparalleled through the ages. Motifs for Edwardian
Jewelryincluded Stars, ribbons and bows.Colored gems like demantoid garnets from
the Urals, pale blue sapphires from Montana, Black Opals from Australia,
amethysts, peridots, unheated acquamarines etc were frequently combined with
tiny pearls or diamonds. Setting baguette cut diamonds, marquise cut diamonds,
trapeze cut diamonds and triangular cut diamonds with calibre-cut rubies,
emeralds and sapphires is a signature edwardian style jewelry. With the advent
of the first world war the luxurious edwardian style
dissapeared.
The Art Deco Jewelry Era (1920 – 1935)
This decorative style originated between 1920 and
1935 in
Paris,
France after
L’Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes of 1925.
This was the era of Jazz and flappers.The Art
Deco style emphasized African, Egyptian, Indian and Japanese themes, geometric
design, abstract pattern, exotic motifs, well defined lines and bold colors,
extensive use of bakelite, celluloid, and enamels. Diamonds, emeralds, rubies
and sapphires were the gems of choice, embellishing the long necklaces and
dripping earrings of the time. Women wore long gold necklaces and multiple
stands of pearls, bracelets were worn in duplicates, watches and cocktail rings
too were very popular. Men's jewelry also came into vogue as men became more
comfortable wearing jewelry . Beads were incorporated into chokers, while metals
were polished and used to accessorize. Platinum and white gold was used
extensively in fine jewelry. In costume jewelry, Rhodium plating was used
instead of these expensive metals. The Invisible setting was developed by
Van Cleef & Arpels which allowed gems to be mounted, through a system of
grooves and rails, in such a way that no metal was visible. Gérard Sandoz, Paul
Poiret, René Lalique, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Jean
Després were some of the famous designers of the art deco period.The Art deco
bracelets became very popular and were called the plaque, flexible link, box,
strap, band or straight-line The straight-line bracelet often featured the new
square cut diamonds developed in Paris, aptly termed "French-cut" diamonds. Art
Deco bracelets were frequently accented with natural and synthetic rubies and
sapphires.Modern streamlined designs, with geometric
gemstone cuts and bold color combinations were the signature style of the art
deco jewelry. Another style typical of the Art Deco era is jewelry with Pave set stones.
The Retro Jewelry Era or the Estate Jewelry Era ( 1935 – 1950)
Retro is a
term used for jewelry from the 1930s through early 50s that are characterized by
large, glamorous designs in yellow and rose gold. Synthetic and semi-precious
stones were popular as precious stones were scarce. During the depression, World
War II and the post-war years, metals and stones were harder to come by so
jewelers creatively used small amounts of material to create chunky,
machine-inspired pieces. Retro jewelry is still wearable and en vogue
today.
Jewelry from the 1960s and later is referred to as estate. While not old enough to be
true antiques, these pieces have unique style and flair. Like retro jewelry,
these pieces are bold but tend to be more chunky and abstract than their
predecessors. Free-form linear and floral designs full of flash and diamonds
make these pieces distinctive.
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