Georgian Jewelry
The time period of Georgian jewelry stretches over a century from the reign of George I to George IV and William IV in England. This was a time of jewelry innovation with many stylistic changes facilitated by technology and the rising of the machine age. This was also a time of exploration and discovery of new gem and mineral sources. Evolving from somewhat primitive jewels to more sophisticated items by 1830, this is a captivating era for study. Choose from the Georgian pictorial glossary below to read more.
Historic Overview
The Georgian period, from 1714 to 1837, was named for, and defined by, the Hanoverian Monarchs of the United Kingdom. These included the four Georges; George I (r. 1714-1727) –...
Vignettes
Cameos, valued since antiquity as engraved gems, were exceedingly popular during the Georgian and Victorian periods. Many different materials were used for carving cameos. For hardstone cameos, varieties of agate including onyx, sardonyx, and jasper were popular. These stones,...
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...
Eyes have long been thought of as the window of the soul alternately revealing and concealing one’s deepest thoughts and feelings. Symbolically, the eye has turned up as the all-seeing...
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité 1 Jewelry from the late 1700s and early 1800s can be characterized by typical shapes and ornamentation which are highly inspired by the classical themes of ancient Greece...
Human hair has been incorporated into jewelry since at least the seventeenth century. Around that time, the hair of the dear departed began to be incorporated into memento mori pieces, as...
The romantic movement which arose during the second half of the 18th century as an antidote to the Enlightenment came to full blossom during the first part of the nineteenth...
Cannetille is a close relative of filigree work. It typically features fine gold wires or thinly hammered sheets. Jewelry with cannetille was very popular in the 1820’s and 1830’s. Motifs included tendrils, scrolls,...
Cut-steel jewelry is jewelry “set” with tiny faceted and polished steel studs, fashioned to resemble gemstones and usually riveted in place. All manner of jewelry was produced from cut-steel: earrings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, chatelaines, shoe buckles,...
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...
This little perfect figure may seem to be a trifling matter on which to found an essay; and yet we shall find it connected with history and poetry. It is...
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
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Amatory jewels were a popular type of love jewelry c.late 1700s. These were navette-shaped pendants, or sometimes brooches, with pearl, gem-set or enamel surrounds. The center featured flowers, initials, or sentiments rendered in seed pearls atop a woven...
Berlin iron is a black-lacquered cast iron material used in jewelry making beginning c. 1790. Originating in Silesia, Prussia at the Gleiwitz Foundry, the Royal Berlin Foundry and a manufacturer...
A C pin catch is a loop of wire, shaped like the letter “C”, soldered onto the reverse of a brooch or pin providing a stopper for the pinstem thus securing the brooch to the fabric. This basic...
A Catherine wheel brooch has a central hub and at least eight radiating spokes. The name comes from its resemblance to the St. Catherine torture wheel (also known as a...
Coque de perle, from the French for ‘pearl shell’ was a Georgian faux pearl carved from the East Indian nautilus shell. The central whorl of the convex part of the...
A decade ring has ten bumps around the outside of the shank for use as a prayer counter. The bumps correspond to the ten Aves of the rosary and the bezel, usually having a...
En pampille refers to a style in which a series of gems, typically diamonds, are arranged as a cascade. The gems descend in size and terminate in a very small “icicle-shaped”...
“En tremblant” is a French term – meaning “to tremble”. It was first used to describe 18th and 19th-century jewelry where parts of the diamond set pieces were attached to a trembler (a...
Translated from the French meaning false watch, it was a Georgian affectation to appear to be wearing two watches. A fausse montre, being without a movement, was much less expensive than a watch but...
Fer de Berlin (from French: “Berlin iron”) jewelry came into fashion during the early 1800s when the Prussians needed to finance the war against Napoleon. Citizens (especially the upper classes)...
Foil backing (or foiling) is a gemstone surface enhancement technique where a thin sheet of metal or other material (sometimes colored) is placed behind the gemstone in order to reflect more...