History
1714-1830: Georgian
The period was characterised by opulent earrings and necklaces in precious stones in the soft hues of purples (amethyst), greens (peridots), blues (aquamarines) and pearls as diamonds were rare. For this reason Georgian diamond pieces are very collectable. All Georgian jewellery was handmade. It was an innovative period with the use of glass paste used to copy precious gemstone jewellery and "pinchbeck" used as a substitute for gold.
1837-1901: Victorian
The Victorian period saw a revival of sweet feminine jewellery. Birds, bows and ribbons featured heavily in the early Victorian period. Gold jewellery became fashinable because it was more affordable. The year 1854 saw the introduction of hallmarks used to identify where, when and of what a piece was made. This has proved exceptionally useful today in indentifying the authenticity of Victorian jewellery. The later period of 1870-1900 saw a huge demand for conservative heavier watch chains, bracelets, rings and earrings. Jet, coral, human hair and seed pearls were all popular organic materials used in Victorian pieces.
1901-1910: Edwardian
The Edwardian period was categorised by finer more classical lines, better quality and more delicate designs. Diamonds were made to look as fine and delicate as possible in order to blend with the lace, silk and feathers, which were symbolic of the femininity of the Edwardian lady. Platinum, diamonds and millgrain settings often featured during this period.
1895-1925: Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau was like a breath of fresh air in jewellery creations, depicting free flow design with a floral emphasis. The designers of this period created extraordinarily beautiful pieces inspired by natural and mythological themes. Swirling graceful lines, curves, flowing feminine hair, peacocks and dragonflies are all symbolic of this period. The designers experimented with new gem materials, including tortoise shell, horn, baroque pearls, demantoid garnets, moon stones and fascinating enameling. The emphasis was on the originality and beauty of the piece, not the intrinsic value of the materials used.
1925-1940: Art Deco
This period depicted the mechanical age and so designs became more structured with the use of geometric shapes coupled with supurb quality. Platinum soared in popularity especially to set diamonds because of it's strength. Sapphires, onyx, rubies and emeralds were often used to highlight the diamonds. The timelessness of this period is reflected in it's popularity today mainly due to it's style, sophistication, uniqueness and quality.
1940s: Retro
The Retro look was dominated by flowers, bows and sunburts with an emphasis on Hollywood. The stars of Hollywood became the face of this era which was bolder than ever. Large coloured gemstones were enormously popular especially with synthetic gemstones readily available on the market.