JEWELRY
STYLES --
While
jewelry has been made in an enormous variety of styles and styles repeat throughout the ages, this list is meant to describe
the general style popular in each time period.
Victorian Jewelry (1837-1901) – This style spans a period of about 60
years, the amount of time that Queen Victoria spent as the ruler of England. It is typically broken down
into three periods, Early, Mid-Victorian and Late Victorian, and coincide with the life of the Queen.
Early Victorian. During the early
part of her reign, Victoria was a newlywed, deeply in love with her husband Prince Albert. Popular jewelry
was sentimental and included lockets and objects made of human hair. Stones were set to spell out words
such as “Dearest” and “Regards” by using the initials of the stones, for example - Diamonds-Emeralds-Amethyst-Ruby-Emerald-Saphire-Topaz
spell out the word “Dearest”. Victoria and Albert spent time visiting Balmoral castle, their
home in Scotland, where Victoria became enchanted with Scottish jewelry depicting the thistle and using stones in the form
of crosses. Snake rings and snake bracelets were also popular as a theme representing fidelity in love.
Engagement rings of this period were not made of diamonds, but rather of a colored gemstone, sometimes representing
the birthstone of the bride.
The
Mid Victorian Period occurred after Albert’s sudden death, when Victoria went into a deep mourning
that lasted 40 years. Black jewelry made of jet, bog oak and similar dark materials were used to form necklaces
and cameos, bracelets and brooches.
The
Late Victorian Period shows a bit more variety as gold and colored stones make a comeback. Sets
of engraved bangle bracelets are worn and jewelry becomes a bit lighter in weight.
Edwardian Jewelry (1901-1919) – Lighter in weight than
Victorian styled jewelry, Edwardian jewelry was very ornate and followed the styles made popular by Princess Alexandria, the
wife of Prince Edward. Dog collar choker necklaces made of pearls and other gems were popular, as well
as lavaliere necklaces. Jewelry was very ornate and made in both precious metals and gems as well as plated
metals and costume jewelry stones. Bangle bracelets were still popular and include figures of lions with
stones in their mouths and eyes.
Art Nouveau Jewelry – This style overlapped the Edwardian period of jewelry.
The style, originating in France, is most often characterized by beautiful young women with flowing hair that graced
lockets, brooches and rings, sash pins and buckles. Nouveau jewelry has fluid lines made of stylized vines,
flowers and foliage.
Arts and Crafts – This movement overlapped with the Art Nouveau style but
it’s fans produced a much simpler form of jewelry using plain and hammered silver and beads of wood and earthy stone.
Although the forms of nature were also imitated by the Arts and Crafts, the style was that of hand-made or hand hammered
jewelry centered around simplicity of form.
Art Deco Jewelry (1920-1939) – While many styles
resulted from an explosion of costume jewelry, the most typical style of Art Deco jewelry is that of clear rhinestones set
in a geometric pattern. These patterns, while geometric in their overall shape, could also be very flowing.
Costume jewelry was primarily made of pot metal with pave set rhinestones. White or clear rhinestones
were used most frequently in the 1920s giving way to multi colored rhinestones in the 1930s. Women’s
right to vote ushered in a period of empowerment felt by women who cast off their long dresses and indulged in flamboyant
styles decorating themselves in long lariat strands of beads, tiaras and layers of bangles going up their arms.
Plastic jewelry made of Bakelite and other plastics became popular and figural jewelry saw a boom in popularity.
Retro Jewelry
(1940s) – This style was born of necessity when World War II made the use of many metals illegal since the
government needed them to make weapons. Jewelry makers returned to using precious metals and, since gold
was coming back into style, costume jewelry sported large flourishes of gold vermeil in the form of bows with a simple large
stone. Rhinestones were not easily attainable from Europe and our factories were involved in the war effort
necessitating a reduction in Americas taste for glitter.
1950s Jewelry – After the war was over, Americans returned
to making large quantities of costume jewelry. Rhinestone jewelry returned with a vengeance giving rise
to many makers of rhinestone studded necklaces, bracelets, rings and brooches. Pearls were also popular
for business and younger women. American efforts to help our former enemies to recover gave rise to much
jewelry made in Japan, mostly of pearls and beads. And also jewelry from Western Germany was imported,
typically glass beads. Copper jewelry became popular giving rise to a number of companies based in California,
as well as some individual designers such as Gret Barkin on the East Coast. Charm bracelets of silver,
expansion rhinestone bracelets, gold-filled lockets were popular, as well as accessories such as rhinestone studded ladies
compacts.
1960s
Jewelry – The 1960s ushered in a period of a more conservative flavor. While rhinestone
jewelry was still popular for evening wear, pearl jewelry and gold tone jewelry became staples of every woman’s jewelry
box. Many beautiful sets of matching necklaces, bracelets and earrings were made by large jewelry manufacturers
such as Monet and Trifari, providing daytime wear for millions of American women. The late 1960s were also
a time of the Hippie Revolution, when long rope lengths of beads were popular as well as silver, much like the Arts and Crafts
style of the early part of the 20th Century.
1970s-1980s
Jewelry – Gold tone proved to still be a favorite staple of jewelry from this time period.
The 1970s explored a renewed interest in Native American Indian jewelry as well as craftsman styled pieces of original
jewelry. As the 1980s progressed, jewelry becomes bolder as Americans watched bejeweled actresses in such t.v.
shows as Dallas ladened with rhinestone jewelry as everyday wear.
