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With the Industrial Revolution moving ahead, people liked things made with or by machines, science was in.
Art Deco jewelry is characterized by geometric symmetry, boldness and contrast. It applied to architecture, jewelry, and clothing. You can draw an imaginary line along the center of an Art Deco piece and see how one half mirrors the other.
ANTIQUE CHRYSOPRASE RING & CARNELIAN STERLING BRACELET
The jewelry of this period was large and utilized the stark white of diamonds with intense contrast from the primary colors such as red, blue, green and black or ruby, sapphire, emerald and black onyx.
Most Art Deco jewelry was manufactured in platinum or white gold.
ANTIQUE DECO 14K WHT GOLD ENGRAVED BULOVA LADIES WATCH
Women had taken a giant step into the work force during the war and were becoming increasingly assertive and independent. With this new class of wealthy people that had profited from the war, the Roaring Twenties were off to a roaring start. After WW I, Art Deco took off, people let loose, women changed, they cut their hair, tried to look as thin and as flat as they could. They wore low necklines, high skirts, and pants.
There was lots of money, no wonder it was prior to income taxes. Lightning bolts, arrows, leaping gazelles and speed were popular themes.
A lot of platinum and diamonds were used, mostly European cut and single cut. Baguettes came out of this era, emerald cuts and pear shape cut diamonds were the forerunner of the marquise shape.
Synthetic were now used and colored glass was also used, natural materials were not as important as color or match of color within a single piece. Man made ‘synthetics’ were in and it was something new.
Coco Chanel made a fortune in selling plastic bangle bracelets. Cultured pearls became available, Tassels became popular and pearls became very popular in long strands on flapper dresses.
Booze was illegal, cocktail parties were used to entertain, hence the cocktail ring. Bow pins were in, cigarette cases, make-up cases, women made a show of applying makeup and smoking.
This period produced some of the finest gemstones ever, Cashmier sapphires, Burma rubies and some of the finest craftsmanship in history.
As in other periods, this era of jewelry was affected by the events of time. First the Depression and then the beginning of WW II, both took their toll and brought an end to fast-paced, fun-loving sophisticated time. Many designs were inspired by the Japanese, the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb and a complete Egyptian revival and “speed”; brooches representing cars, planes, ocean liners were in vogue.
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