Jewelry styles and periods: Georgian, Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco
Each era left a recognizable jewelry style. Dates are approximate and vary by country.
Georgian (c. 1714-1830) #
Gold and silver jewelry with hand-cut stones, often closed-back set with a colored foil behind.
Victorian (1837-1901) #
Sentimental and symbolic: snakes, flowers, mourning jewelry with jet and hair (hairwork), cameos and garnets.
Art Nouveau (c. 1890-1910) #
Curved lines inspired by nature (dragonflies, flowers, women), translucent enamel (plique-à-jour), mother-of-pearl and semi-precious stones.
Edwardian (1901-1915) #
Delicate and airy: platinum and diamonds with lace, garlands and pearls.
Art Deco (c. 1920-1939) #
Geometry, symmetry, straight lines, contrasting colors (sapphire, emerald, onyx) and baguette and emerald cuts.
Retro and 20th century (1935-1960) #
Bulky rose and yellow gold, rubies and bow and ribbon designs; later, modern design and studio jewelry.
Today #
Tradition coexists with contemporary and studio jewelry.
See also #
This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.
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