A History of Art Deco Jewelry

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A History of Art Deco Jewelry One of the most
bold and dramatic eras of fashion was the period
of art deco. Starting in the 1920s and spanning
to the 1930s, the fashion of silver jewelry was a
huge departure from the previous school of art
art nouveau. Where art nouveau jewelry Tiffany
Set was centered on natural curvy lines and
flowers and insects, art decorated jewelry
focused on geometric shapes and were more
intricate, due to advances in manufacturing
technology. The people of the 1920's wanted art
that expressed something new, something that
fulfilled society's need for a new form of
novelty in jewelry form.
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The styles of design found in art decorated
jewelry were a breath of fresh air to the public.
For a time, the people were captivated with
Egyptology, due to King Tiffany
SetsTutankhamun's tomb being discovered by Dr.
Howard Carter, a British archeologist, in 1922.
So great was the public's newfound fascination
with Egypt, that there was a high demand for
reproductions of King Tut's artifacts to be
reproduced into jewelry pieces. A few examples of
these would be amulets, scarabs, face masks of
King Tutankhamum, snakes, along with various
other unique items found within his tomb.
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But Egypt wasn't the only country to be used for
inspiration for art deco jewelry. During the
1920s and 1930s, airplane travel helped bridge
the continents and inspired more communication
throughout the world, particularly Persia and
India. Greater exposure to these countries wasn't
lost on art deco jewelry. Tiffany Sets On Sale
Hindu motifs were becoming more popular and
sought out, as were the precious stones found in
the area, such as rubies, emeralds, sapphires,
diamonds and pearls. As the maharajahs traveled
to European cities, their style of jewelry was
spread along the continent with them, and served
to inspire art decorated jewelry in many ways.
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One of the technological advances that helped art
deco jewelry come into form was bakelite, a
plastic material. Mostly used in small appliances
and telephones, bakelite was soon found to be an
inexpensive way to manufacture jewelry. Bakelite
could be colored and molded into small parts that
was perfect for rings and bracelets. Instead of
using pricy gemstones, a piece of bakelite can be
molded and colored into just about any shape and
hue. The most popular color were Tiffany Sets
Saleshades of amber, but red, green, white and
black were also common colors found in bakelite
jewelry from the art deco jewelry period.
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One of the most sought-out art deco jewelry
pieces are the engagement rings made during this
period. Collectors have a hard time finding them,
but the rings are well worth the time required to
find them. Popular metals in use were white gold
and platinum. These metals were contrasted with
crystals and Tiffany Setting diamonds, both
common in art deco jewelry, along with the
inclusion of sapphires, emeralds, coral, turqoise
and rubies. These rings made heavy use of
symmetry, and were usually found to have strong
geometric shapes, as well. For newly engaged
couples, art deco rings are the most popular
antique rings.