Antique jewelry 100 years old

The older jewelry gets it seems to become more beautiful and eventually comes back into style. The jewelry that is not quite as old does not have that beauty about it yet and is just old jewelry. There is an honor in a jewel markers jewlry to be recognized as antique jewelry and of history itself.

Art Nouveau

The ‘90’s brought art nouveau into fashion. The look was characterized by sinuous lines and the use of natural elements like grass and seaweed.  Jewelry of this era became more stylish and concerned with form.  For hundreds of years before this, jewelry was all about the stones and the precious metal was only used to form a setting.  Antique jewelry of the art nouveau style is about the flowing forms and features enameling along with opals and semi-precious gems.  The dragonfly became a popular shape for brooches as it has again today.  Precious stones became less fashionable and molded glass, horn and ivory were used.

Art Deco

Decades later, art deco made itself felt.  Antique jewelry from the 1020’s and 1930’s has a more streamlined, geometric look.  Instead of the sinuous lines of art nouveau, art deco features straight lines and sweeping curves.  Chevrons and sunbursts defined the look. Materials like stainless steel and aluminum reflected the interest in manufacturing and modern building, Lacquer and inlaid wood were used instead of precious stones.  Hollywood became an inspiration for art deco.  The look was sleek and clean like the skyscrapers that fascinated the people of the time.  The Chrysler building in New York City is a perfect example of art deco.

More Hollywood

Hollywood remained an influence on antique jewelry from the 1940’s and ‘50’s.  In Europe and America, designers copied the look of the movie stars both on and off the silver screen.  During this time, World War II caused rationing of metals, which led to the rise of costume jewelry.  The combination of glamour with mass-produced, inexpensive jewelry is a mark of this era’s antique jewelry.  In spite of the age of this period’s antique jewelry, the large number produced and the inexpensive materials makes it very collectible.

Antique jewelry is a great collectible if its for its beauty, fashion or collectibility. You can find out a lot about fashion and what people were into buy the jewelry they were wearing in the past. Maybe at one time people were into silver then gold diamonds were not as appealing in the past as they are today. But one thing is that a lot of the old styles will make it back around and become new again.

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