The members of LA Treasure Hunting have found that there are very few guides available on Ebay to help bidders distinguish between art deco and art nouveau jewelry.  Therefore, we have taken an hour out of schedule to draft up this wonderful little guide which summarizes the style distinctions of nouveau.  We will also be creating a deco guide in the near future, so stay tuned!

Quick historical facts concerning art nouveau:

• dates between 1895 and 1915, short-lived at beginning of 20th century
• led primarily by Rene Jules Lalique of France (though there stood several others throughout the globe)
• emerged to eschew Victorian era style
• also emerged as a response to Industrial era and the new aesthetic possibilities made available
• embraced skilled craftmanship and design over materials
• also emphasized the jeweler as ARTIST

What typically characterizes art nouveau jewelry?

• beautiful enamelling techniques (cloisonné ~ gold wire used to partition enamel, champlevé ~ enamel fills cuts made in metal, basse-taille ~ transparent enamel, plique-a-jour ~ stained glass effect)
• new materials such as opals, moonstone, glass, cast iron, ivory, horn, tortoise shell, freshwater pearls, etc...
• smooth and sweeping lines [like that of woodblocks] that give "life" to the pieces
• recession of precious stone usage (diamonds used alongside "newer" materials such as those listed above)
• smooth backs to settings (metal was not textured on the back)
• common c-clasp to backing
• no presence of copyright symbols alongside stamps
• stones and rhinestones are SET into place, not glued

Style elements and motifs of art nouveau jewelry:

• Japanese woodblock inspiration (Lalique primarily influenced by his encounter with Asian art)
• feminine motif typically with long sweeping hair, curving bodies, portrayed as fairies and nymphs
• mystery / fantasy theme (think moonstone and opal) occasionally mixed with nature and had a focus on the magical unknown
• insects such as dragonflies, butterflies
• animals such as snakes, birds
• plants ranging from popular flowers (like irises) to grass to seaweed to leaves and vines
• sweeping, smooth, curving, free flowing lines (as seen in Asian art like above-mentioned woodblocks) to give "life" to above designs

Note: pictures may be added to this guide later for future reference.

Cloisonné


Champlevé


Basse-taille


Plique-a-jour


C-clasp detail and flat backing (courtesy of jewelryexpert.com).



Noticeable difference between 1) SET stones and 2) GLUED stones.
 VERSUS
In first picture, notice the detailed prong work used to hold the stones in place.