Jewelry Time Lines
A QUICK GUIDE TO THE DATING OF VINTAGE JEWELRY
Is this piece Art Nouveau? Art Deco? How do I know?
Vintage or Antique?
When someone admires your vintage jewelry and asks
what period it comes from, are you stumped? Here is a quick guide to dating
pieces that are truly vintage. Basically
antique jewelry is any piece over 100 years old and
vintage jewelry is considered as that dated between 1940 and 1980,
but there are various periods in each of the two classification.
Georgian Jewelry (1714-1837):
This jewelry was most often handmade, so that
each unique piece varied in quality, depending on the maker. Georgian
jewelry often featured shapes from nature, such as birds and flowers.
Jewelry from this period included precious and semi precious stones such as
garnets, diamonds, coral, and topaz. Georgian jewelry is very rare and
highly collectible.
Early Victorian Jewelry (1837-1850):
Jewelry from this period, like Georgian, often
reflected nature based designs which were commonly etched in intricate gold
filigree patterns. Lockets and brooches were very popular during this time
period. For evening, one would often wear gemstones or diamonds.
Mid-Victorian Jewelry (1860-1880):
This period coincided with the death of Queen
Victoria’s husband, Albert, when she went into a period of mourning for him.
Many jewelry pieces from the this Mid Victorian period had a more subdued,
austere, and somber design. Mourning pieces made of black jet, onyx and deep
red garnets abounded. This period also resulted in different ways of using
gems and metals, which resulted in much bolder and more colorful designs.
Japanese themes were popular in this period.
Late Victorian Jewelry (1885-1900):
This was an aesthetic period of jewelry design,
with feminine colors and a big use of gemstones. Hat pins were especially
popular as fashion accessories
Arts and Crafts Jewelry (1894-1923):
The industrial Revolution, with the advance of
mass technology inspired designers of this period to return to intricate
craftsmanship in their designs. The jewelry was colorful with simple
patterns
Art Nouveau Jewelry (1895-1915):
The graceful Art Nouveau period started with
designers in France and those in America following suit. Look for graceful
flower designs with an abundance of dragonflies and other insects.
Edwardian Jewelry (1901-1910):
After the death of Queen Victoria, the Edwardian
era was ushered in when her son Edward took the throne. This was a lavish
period with pearls and diamonds in jewelry with emeralds, rubies and other
gemstone accents. Highly decorative and elaborate period.
Art Deco Jewelry (1920-1935):
This was a period of bright colors in contrast to
each other, as well as a preponderance of geometric shapes and very strong
lines. Look for Egyptian, Japanese and African themes. Bakelite and
celluloid became very popular too.
Retro Jewelry (1940s - to about 1980):
The jewelry from this period was elaborate and
colorful with an array of gold and gemstones. It had Hollywood for its
inspiration, so the retro jewelry was somewhat larger than life in style.
This was a period when charm bracelets became a favorite jewelry item.
Need more info?
I'll be writing comprehensive resource articles
over the next few months about each of these periods. This article is only
meant to be an overview and quick check list. If the piece you own has
characteristics of the period, it MAY be from that time period. Check back
later to see each era covered in detail so that you can try to date your
piece more definitively.
I try to offer accurate vintage jewelry information, but may make errors from time to time due to mistakes in research information.
