Art Deco Jewellery: Decadence That Celebrates An Unforgettable Era

Art Deco style points to a life of pleasure, leisure and all-out glamour, from the curvy pin-up girls swanning around in candy-coloured bathing suits on the French Riviera, fawning over muscled beefcakes on the beach, to the slinky, red lipstick-laden blondes, dripping in diamond jewellery, pressed up against nonchalant, cigar-smoking Wall Street suits in slick Manhattan bars.

The need for women to take over the men's jobs during World War One overwhelmingly changed the role of women in society. When the war ended, a new spirit of liberation and freedom took over and the "Roaring Twenties" blossomed with a decadent lust for life.

Out went the traditional, meek woman - and in bounced the bold, confident flapper. This new breed of woman smoked cigarettes, drank martinis and flirted with slicksters in smoky nightclubs. Fashion magazines and the motion picture industry brought about huge changes in fashion, and Hollywood starlets became the new international fashion royalty. Out went long dresses and long hair - in came dramatic and provocative tango dresses, short skirts and a cropped cut.

The most fashionable jewellery changed suddenly to complement this bold new look. Opulence and extravagance in all its glittering glory reflected the post-war joie de vivre, and women celebrated their post-war success by piling on glitzy Art Deco jewellery that conveyed international glamour, elegance and sophistication.

Art Deco Jewellery

Art Deco style jewellery is recognised by its strong geometrical patterns and angular shapes such as squares, triangles and rectangles, juxtaposed with luxury metals like white gold and platinum, and a plethora of bright and boldly coloured stones such as diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires.

Designers of the period discovered new techniques to work with platinum that enabled the creation of designs with intricate shapes and outlines. Platinum became the new luxury metal used with opaque stones like coral, jade and onyx. Diamonds were cut in shapes never before seen such as emerald cuts, pear shapes and marquises, while gemstones were cut in bold geometric shapes such as pentagons, trapezoids or triangles.

Another common characteristic of Art Deco jewellery is the combination of bold, contrasting tones like black and white for a striking appearance.

Art Deco jewellery design was heavily influenced by cubism, futurism and machines, while Egyptian, African, Oriental, Persian/Islamic and Native American designs were also common.

The First Art Deco Jewellers

• Cartier - Strong Egyptian and Oriental influences with contrasting coloured stones.
• Van Cleef & Arpels - Simple shapes that show off a profusion of precious stones.
• Gerard Sandoz - Cubist designs with strongly contrasting primary colours. He used few precious stones but is well known for eggshell lacquer and niello work.
• Raymond Templier - Bold black and white geometric jewellery.

Features of Art Deco Jewellery

• Art Deco Jewellery motifs are characterised by geometric designs, diverse combinations of colour and abstract patterns.
• The most popular gemstones of the Art Deco period were diamonds.
• Rubies, sapphires, black onyx, emeralds, coral, ivory, jade, mother-of-pearl and quartz crystal were often used as linear accents with the diamonds, or alone.
• Geometric gem cuts commonly feature strongly in Art Deco jewellery, including baguettes, emerald-cuts, triangles and shields.
• Common Art Deco engagement ring diamond shapes were Princess, Emerald and Baguette.
• Gemstones were usually channel-set or bead-set.
• The preferred metal for Art Deco Jewellery was platinum, although white gold and silver is also prominent.
• Finer pieces of Art Deco jewellery were handmade, with hand engraving and were well-finished, both on the front and back of the pieces.

Art Deco Jewellery Today

Recently we have seen a stunning return to boldly styled, richly jewelled, statement-making jewellery of the glamorous Art Deco era, in all its shimmering splendour.

Many of the pieces I create here at Eskae Jewellers take inspiration from the decadent Art Deco era, designed with a new, updated interpretation of the "bold and statement-making” Art Deco pieces. We create one-of-a-kind Art Deco-inspired creations that are both contemporary and elegant - with bold and striking sculptural designs featuring sleek lines and fabulous details that cast a nod to the confident glamour and elegance of the roaring 20’s.

To enhance the striking, timeless designs of our custom Art Deco jewellery, we adhere to the highest international standards in quality and craftsmanship - and Art Deco jewellery from Eskae is made with the very finest precious metals and jewels available in the world.

If you share our passion for Art Deco jewellery bursting with opulence and timeless beauty, I would be pleased to work closely with you to create a personal and unique piece that encapsulates your unique style, and gives a wink to the extravagant jazz age.