The Grand Period – 1860-1885
Changes in fashion, the excavation of ancient Egyptian treasures, and the death of Prince Albert influenced jewelry styles during this period.
Influences/Advancements
Women are entering the workforce, and the suffragette movement begins. Diamonds are discovered in South Africa, opals in Australia, and silver in Nevada. With the death of Prince Albert, mourning jewelry is prevalent as the country mourns with the Queen. Excavations in Italy launched a trend of Etruscan Revival jewelry, while the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 made it easier for Europe and Asia to trade with one another and it also sparked an interest in Egyptian Revival jewelry.
Notable Jewelers
Though not always credited for their work, some of the important jewelers during the era were: Boucheron, Mellerio, Froment-Meurice, Castellani, Fontenay, Giuliano, and Brogden.
Metals
Discoveries of gold in California provided the world with a magnificent supply of the precious metal. Archeological Revival styles were rendered with granulation and wirework.
The Comstock Lode Nevada discovery provided an abundance of silver to the world’s jewelers.
Gemstones
Opals once thought to bring bad luck, were revived in popularity by Queen Victoria. French exposition to China brought jade introduced Jade to the West, and Napoleon III’s Empress Eugenie’s love of emeralds caught on in France. Diamonds were rose and old mine cuts.
Amethyst was a half-mourning gem, acceptable for wear after the initial mourning period ended.
Napoleon III and Eugenie breathed life back into the cameo industry, as Napoleon was a passionate collector.
Cabochon garnets (also known as carbuncles), and other gem cabochons–including those embedded with gems–were popular.
Techniques/Innovations
Granulation and filigree were used to add texture and depth. Engraving and chasing continued to be used and there were new treatments such as blooming which created a soft matte sheen on metal surfaces. Technology (and a price drop) made aluminum a more inviting metal with low prices and easy workability. It was used widely in costume jewelry and household goods.
Styles & Motifs
The heavens and nature as well as whimsical subjects were favorite motifs. ‘
Look for: crescent moons, stars, and insects of all sorts were set with diamonds, colored stones, and pearls. The discovery of silver in Virginia City, NV lowered the cost and bigger, bolder pieces were made. Victorian whimsy was on display with reverse crystal intaglios painted with horses and other animals, including their pets! The ever-classic locket was a sentimental favorite as were the exquisite and intricately fashioned micromosaic pieces.
The expression of personal grief through jewelry—wearing dark-colored jewelry and pieces that memorialized the dead which included hair or photos–extended to national grief after the death of the Queen’s mother and Prince Albert in 1861. Mourning jewelry was donned by most to show solidarity with the grieving monarch and to acknowledge the country’s loss.
Look for: somber, yet beautiful, jewelry fabricated in dark materials such as onyx, jet, vulcanite, French jet (glass), accented with seed pearls, and often featuring human hair.
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