Art Nouveau Jewelry
The Art Nouveau jewelry era was born out of the reestablished trade routes between the East and West. Japanese artisans participated in the 1862 International Exhibition in London and their nature-dominated designs with their elegant renderings stunned the Western world. This new design aesthetic was the perfect antidote to the Victorian Era. To learn more, select topics from the Art Nouveau pictorial glossary.
Historic Overview
In the latter half of the nineteenth century, there were many forces at work in the world of decorative arts that would propel artisans out of the humdrum and into...
Vignettes
In 1900, the world witnessed a grand display of Art Nouveau jewels, objects, and architecture at Paris’s Exposition Universelle. This article will attempt to create a snapshot of this special moment in...
An interesting subset of the Art Nouveau jewelry movement was the design and production of medal jewels. Scrambling to recoup the losses incurred when cameos and intaglios became passé, jewelers began to imitate ancient Greek and Roman...
Is the jewelry often labeled “Suffragist (Suffragette) Jewelry” simply indicative of the fashion of the period or was it symbolic of a cause women (and some men) fought for passionately?...
Egyptomania is an extreme obsession for all things Egyptian and, throughout history, a passion for Egypt has been a recurring theme. By the time Napoléon Bonaparte stormed Egypt at the...
Diamonds are the gemstone most commonly associated with engagement rings, but that has not always been the case. They first made their appearance in betrothal rings circa the fifteenth century but...
A signet ring features an intaglio gem, or decorative carving that is engraved with a monogram, coat of arms or, other heraldic or personal symbol. Throughout history, signets were used as...
Earrings are much more than just decorative jewelry for the ear. Gods and goddesses, symbols, talismans and amulets have all been depicted in the designs fastened to or suspended from the ear...
A necklace can be defined simply as an adornment designed to encircle the neck. Upon closer examination, they are actually so much more. Having existed ever since our ancestors began...
Terms & Definitions
QUICK LINKS:
Art Nouveau European-cut Diamond Gypsy Style Ring c. 1900. Art Nouveau Three-Stone Diamond and 18k Yellow Gold Leaf Motif Engagement Ring. Art Nouveau Stylized Diamond and 18k Yellow Gold Serpent...
The Wiener Werkstätte had its roots in a combination of key events in the lives of its founders, Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser, and the storm of change that was sweeping through the field of...