How To Identify Art Deco Jewellery

Art Deco jewellery was a prominent style of jewellery throughout the 1920s through to the mid 1930s and it is one of the most recognisable styles of jewellery in history. It affected how jewellery was designed and made a huge impact on jewellery over many years and to this present day. Many distinguished jewellery companys such as Tiffany & Co and Cartier produced many of their iconic pieces throughout this period, and not only was Art Deco a recognisable style of jewellery but it also ran through into other areas of design such as Art and Architecture. But what does Art Deco jewellery look like and how can it be identified? There are many characteristics to Art Deco jewellery which make pieces so desirable and distinguishable from other eras of jewellery, and if you know the basic characteristics to this style you will be able to spot an Art Deco piece a mile away.

Pieces Which Stood Out

Art Deco jewellery stood out from anything else because of its clever and unusual use of shapes and materials. The Victorian era saw elegant and romantic pieces, however Art Deco had an unusual edge which people had never seen before. Geometric and angular shapes such as circles, squares, triangles and rectangles were used in the designs and they made bold use of colour to create a new modern aesthetic. Pieces were mainly composed of yellow gold, white gold, silver and platinum incorporating stones such as Coral, Jade, Diamonds, Pearls and Rubies, however costume pieces were created to mimic the look using faux stones, plastic and enamel. Of course the obvious pieces of jewellery were very popular throughout the Art Deco period such as Earrings, Bracelets, Necklaces, Rings and Brooches, however pieces such as dress and fur clips, duette clips and flapper beads also became popular to own and wear. With their stand out symmetrical designs, unusual shapes and bold colours, Art Deco jewellery was the start to something amazing within the jewellery industry.

Art Deco Colours Are Usually Brighter Than Other Periods

There are things you should look for and consider if you are planning to invest in a piece of Art Deco jewellery to ensure the piece is genuine and good quality. Colours, shapes, materials and their influences are all factors which should be taken into consideration which i have mentioned earlier. The colours are generally brighter than ones used throughout other periods and this is a great indication as to whether the piece is a genuine Art Deco piece. Soft curvy shapes were eliminated throughout this era with lines being straight and shapes being geometric. When looking at the stones used it was common for dramatic combinations of stones and materials to be used, and many pieces took their influence from Egyptian, Indian and Far East art and design with Ivory and Jade commonly being incorporated and scarab beetle and sphinx designs being recurring. Art Deco jewellery is great to invest in not only as it was such a huge changed in the history of jewellery but it has great value and is very desirable. Although many pieces and bold, beautiful pieces containing diamonds can also be found so there is an Art Deco piece out there for everyone.