We do not want merely to see beauty... we want something else which can hardly be put into words- to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.
C.S. Lewis
retro color change sapphire ring
A retro era gold ring featuring a substantial synthetic color change sapphire, deep blue to purplish pink, 15 mm in diameter, size 7.5, 18k gold, circa 1940.
By the mid 1930s, the all white look of diamond and platinum jewelry of the preceding decades had all but faded away, replaced by colored gold and vibrant gemstones. Fashion in clothing and jewelry was rapidly changing, precipitated by the repeal of Prohibition and the abandonment of the gold standard in 1933. Despite the crippling effects of the Great Depression, nightclubs reopened and Hollywood glamour sparked hope for better days with jewelry to go along with it. Fewer and less expensive gemstones were hallmarks of this era including synthetic rubies and sapphires, in keeping with technological advancements at the time. Jewelry from this time period is often termed 'Retro Modern' alluding to a return to the vibrant colors and naturalistic themes prominent during the Victorian period, but with an eye to the future embodied in The Machine Age. Jewels became bigger and bolder as society hungrily eyed a better future.