Jewelry in History

By: Steve Hill

Looking back over the past centuries, it is very evident that
jewelry has been a vital part of our society. Beginning with
ancient Greece, jewelry has been worn by men and women alike.
More recently, during the Georgian period from the early 1700s
to the mid 1800s, jewelry designs were predominantly nature
themed with flowers, leaves, insects, birds and feathers
engraved or carved. Gemstones were favored during this time
along with agates, intaglios and cabochon cut stones.

Later in the 1800s, during the early Victorian Period,
scrollwork, floral sprays and animal themes were the dominant
style. These styles were intermingled with multi-colored gold
and many pieces of enameled jewelry began during this period.
The late Victorian Period up to 1900 brought diamonds into
popularity. Bird, insect and animal themes were set in metal and
many pieces began implementing the use of spring mechanisms.
Delicate pendants of colored stones and pearls were also highly
popular during this time.

During the time from 1900 until 1950, the styles and designs of
jewelry changed rapidly and substantially. Early in the 1900s
jewelry became very delicate and feminine. Bows, ribbons, urns,
starts and small flower garlands were seen widely during this
time. Platinum on yellow gold with diamond trim or large
diamonds with smaller diamonds for accents became very popular
during this era. Art Deco also became popular during the early
1900s. During this time diamonds and platinum were used widely
without any regard to their cost. Stones were cut into triangles
and other shapes along with colored gemstones such as rubies,
sapphires, emeralds and onyx to create beautiful and contrasting
combinations.

During World War II much of the gold and silver and all of the
platinum were needed to fund military spending. During this time
the American jewelry market burst into its own. Colored gold in
beautiful yellows, pinks and greens were developed. Designs were
also developed that used three dimensional and sculptured
ribbons, bows and folds that resembled fabrics. After the war
the jewelry became much less romantic and took on more of a
militaristic look.

It was during the 1950s that the use of abstract sprays of
diamonds in mixed cuts and starbursts were first introduced.
Textured gold was also introduced and the look virtually
dominated the 1950s with Florentine finishes, twisted rope,
braided wire and meshing. During this decade it was customary to
wear gold jewelry without gemstones during the day while
diamonds and other stones were worn for evenings. Amethyst,
turquoise and coral were among the most popular colored
gemstones. White cultured pearls were also becoming highly
popular for both day and night wear.

Jumping ahead to the 1970s, jewelry took on a complete new look.
Jewelry designers looked to create a unique and different
approach to jewelry styles. Non-precious metals such as rock
crystal, ivory and coral were being used more widely. Baguette
diamonds were also designed into solitaires and were worn during
both the day and night.

During the 1980s glitz and glamour were a desired look. While
the wedding of Princess Diana to Prince Charles gave women all
over the world the desire for jewelry with a classy and
sophisticated elegance, television shows such as Dallas had
women yearning for a more glamorous approach to their jewelry.
Colored pearls were highly popular and the overall designs of
jewelry ranged from large and chunky to small and elegant. This
is also the decade in which the pierced ears with up to five
different earrings in one ear began. Many of these same jewelry
styles and trends are evident today. Typically jewelry never
goes out of style. Many antique pieces from decades past are
still highly fashionable and can be worn today without much
notice. Jewelry has been part of our lives since nearly the dawn
of time and it is highly evident that it will remain so for many
years to come.

Article Source: http://collectibles-articles.com

Steve Hill is a webmaster from Birmingham, he has interests in a number of websites including: stuttering Jewelry in history Rosetta Stone

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