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The best things in life are free. The second best things are very, very expensive.
Coco Chanel
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georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
georgian
The Georgian Era (1714-1830), named for the successive reign of the British kings George I through George IV, spanned over one hundred years of jewelry history, from the early eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century. Naturally, tastes in fashion and style varied widely across countries and through the decades, though certain forms endured and flourished as jewelry evolved from the sole purview of the aristocracy to reach a wider audience in the middle and upper classes. Gemstones, diamonds, and glass were prevailingly designed in closed-back settings in either silver or gold with foiling beneath each stone to enhance its color and reflectivity. Georgian glass, or 'paste,' was an artform in its own right and not merely a substitute for more valuable gemstones and diamonds. The final years of the Georgian period along with the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, brought with it some of the most elaborate forms of craftsmanship during the era and include such fascinating designs as gold cannetille jewelry and Berlin Iron jewelry.
victorian
The Victorian Era (1837-1901), named for Queen Victoria, the longest reigning British monarch (until recently when her reign was eclipsed by that of Queen Elizabeth), was a time of great upheaval in society at large which inevitably had its effects on fashion and on jewelry. However, if only one factor was stable during this period, it was that Queen Victoria set the standards for style unequivocally throughout her long reign. When Victoria was in love, the nation was in love, and fashions favored sentimental jewelry from seed pearls to lockets to delicate parures. When Victoria mourned the death of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861, the entire country went into mourning, and there was an explosion of mourning jewelry from carved whitby jet to the french, glass substitute known as 'french jet.' The end of the Victorian period brought with it a relaxation of mourning practices and an increase in silver jewelry, especially after the discovery of the Comstock Lode; styles favored light colored jewelry set in silver, and some progressive women did away with daytime jewelry altogether. The advent of electric lighting late in the century further solidified the use of diamonds in jewelry, often set 'a jour,' or open-backed, to take advantage of the enhanced lighting available in the evening.
twentieth century
The turn of the twentieth century brought with it a rapidly-changing profusion of styles in jewelry, including the characteristic platinum and diamond jewelry of Edwardian design, followed by the angular Great Gatsby jewels of the Art Deco period. Edwardian design carried on the romantic approach of the late Victorian age but combined it with newly available materials such as platinum, which were worked into elaborate and lacey designs almost entirely in silver and white. Closely on its heels, Art Deco design was characterized by increasing mechanization and featured square corners, bright center stones, and a general feeling of progress. During this same time, the Art Nouveau movement - with its emphasis on naturalistic design - contrasted greatly with the stark elements of the blooming industrial age. Art Nouveau design was particularly focused on aspects of the femininity of nature and its expression in rich metals accented by airy and colorful enamels in the plique-a-jour style. The absolute cornucopia of design that existed in the first quarter of the twentieth century became a harbinger of the wealth, success, and confidence of a new era.
ABOUT US
The Cloudless Sulphur is born of a passion for literature, art, and - above all else - a love of old, beautiful things. Please join us in our exploration of the unique, the bold, and the unparalleled as we discover the glory of centuries past and its relevance in our lives today.
If neurotic is wanting two mutually exclusive things at one and the same time, then I'm neurotic as hell. I'll be flying back and forth between one mutually exclusive thing and another for the rest of my days.
Sylvia Plath
rings
necklaces
brooches
hair ornaments
earrings
bracelets
pendants
other objects
rings
necklaces
brooches
hair ornaments
earrings
bracelets
pendants
other objects
rings
necklaces
brooches
hair ornaments
earrings
bracelets
pendants
other objects
rings
necklaces
brooches
hair ornaments
earrings
bracelets
pendants
other objects
I want the following word: splendor, splendor is fruit in all its succulence, fruit without sadness. I want vast distances. My savage intuition of myself.
Clarice Lispector
The books I liked became a Bible from which I drew advice and support; I copied out long passages from them; I memorized new canticles and new litanies, psalms, proverbs, and prophecies, and I sanctified every incident in my life by the recital of these sacred texts. My emotions, my tears, and my hopes were no less sincere on account of that; the words and the cadences, the lines and the verses were not aids to make believe: but they rescued from silent oblivion all those intimate adventures of the spirit that I couldn’t speak to anyone about; they created a kind of communion between myself and those twin souls which existed somewhere out of reach; instead of living out my small private existence, I was participating in a great spiritual epic.
Simone
de Beauvoir
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