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Jewelry Style History 1690s-1901

Just like art, jewelry has time-period styles. In this post, read about the styles and trends in jewelry, along with their history and causes. It's pretty interesting if you ask us...


 

French Rococo (1690)

The word “Rococo” comes from the French word “rocaille,” meaning 'stony ground' or 'rock garden,' a reference to the seashells that decorated fountains at the time. The pieces from this period featured naturalistic designs, curvy lines, asymmetry, elaborate details, and pastel colors. The style began in France after King Louis XIV wanted more colorful, light-hearted art to replace the formal, religious designs that had been prominent at the time. By the 1730s, this new artistic concept had spread across Europe to Germany, Austria, and Italy, but notably not to England, where the nobility was less lavish and more traditional in terms of jewelry trends, preferring simple and sentimental jewelry.


Ornate brooch with large yellow gemstone center, surrounded by leaf-like patterns. Set against a plain white background.
An early 18th century large central cushion-shaped citrine within a topaz openwork floral surrounded with foil back- Levys Fine Jewelry

Popular Stones and Techniques

The most popular jewelry items were buttons and brooches, pocket watches, sword hilts, hair decorations, and, of course, earrings, rings, and necklaces. Traditional diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls were popular, but due to the demand for large stones, shortages arose, and people turned to semi-precious gemstones.

One technique that became popular was "foil-backed" paste: clear or transparent stones, crystals, or even colored glass were backed with shiny foil, making them more reflective and giving the appearance of large diamonds. This technique made paste jewels almost as valuable as real diamonds. The foil-back technique spread to colored stones to brighten them and make them appear more expensive. This use of foil-backed paste jewelry, combined with the eventual rise of the Industrial Revolution, would lead to affordable jewelry for the middle class.



 

Georgian (1720–1830)

There is quite a bit of overlap between the style periods and ideals of the Rococo and Georgian periods. The name refers to the succession of King Georges (I-IV) from 1714 to 1830 in Great Britain. This period also coincides with the first Industrial Revolution, when society's trends, fashions, and arts struggled to keep up with technological innovations. The Industrial Revolution created new jobs in large cities and sparked uprisings against monarchies and social classes (such as the American Revolution, French Revolution, and Haitian Revolution).

With more wealth distribution, less segregation of social classes, and more freedom for lower-class people, non-aristocrats began embracing jewelry and fashion for the first time. When Napoleon rose to power, he brought his lavish tastes and love of classical designs with him, rejuvenating the jewelry trade and his love for the natural Rococo style. He also gifted the first mention of the "Toi et Moi" ring (You and Me) to his first wife, Josephine de Beauharnais, a style still popular today for its symbolism and beauty.


Gold ring with blue sapphire and diamond on a finger. The pear-shaped stones reflect light, highlighting their vibrant colors and sparkle.
Napoleon's Engagement ring to Josephine, his first wife, in the now popular "Toi et Moi" style- Daily Mail

On the other end of the war, Prussian armies needed funds to stop Napoleon's forces, leading to a call for women to trade their gold jewelry for iron, thus sparking the sudden popularity of iron jewelry. This trend would be embraced after Napoleon's loss and would remain popular until the mid-1800s. Iron jewelry even made a comeback during World War I.

When Napoleon was overthrown and replaced with the Bourbon rulers (King Louis XVII), the 'French Restoration' began, rejecting Napoleon's influence on Rococo style but doubling the lavishness of jewelry and fashion.


Popular Stones and Techniques

Neo-classical styles came to the forefront, with strong influences from ancient Greece and Rome, along with natural designs. Cameos, intaglios, engraved gems, and romantic styles were in vogue. Similar to the Rococo period, large gemstones were so popular that semi-precious stones were often used when large stones could not be found. Combining brightly colored gemstones in a gold setting became known as “l'antique.” Jewelry became more practical, worn by both men and women.



"The concept of Romanticism in everyday jewelry can probably be best described by the French poet Chateaubriand, who recalled an experience dining with Marie-Louise, Napoleon’s widow. The poet was surprised to see that her bracelets were not adorned with precious gemstones or diamonds, but rather marble, which had supposedly been chipped off the tomb of the famous Shakespearean heroine, Juliet." – levysfinejewelry.com


 

Victorian (1830–1901)

By this time, both the French and British monarchs (Philip VI of France and William IV of Great Britain) had rejected the lavish extravagance of their predecessors, relying instead on middle and lower-class success to maintain their monarchies. With the gold rush in both California and Australia, gold became abundant, and with more wealth in the middle class, gold jewelry reached an all-time high. More people were wearing jewelry than ever before.

This period is named after Queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837 to 1901 and became the largest influence in fashion, jewelry, and trends of the time. New traveling innovations led to more diverse styles and trends that originated in other countries. The French occupation of Algeria and the later 'Scramble for Africa' brought African and Assyrian themes and symbolism to Europe. A trade agreement between France and Japan led to Japanese styles influencing Europe.

European women became interested in foreign fashions, and trends from other countries became obsessions. Italy became a popular destination, leading to even more Greek and Roman influences.


Cameo of a naked girl riding on a bat, the girl carries a large feather. Cameo back is a coffee color surrounded by gold metalwork
A cameo used throughout the Victorian Romantic period- Wikipedia

Philippe Watches became extremely popular as Queen Victoria was so impressed by the style and ingenuity of the watchmaker that she bought a watch and appointed Patek Philippe to her court, making him highly sought after.

During the 1800s, mourning jewelry (all black or with strands of a loved one’s hair inside) became popular as a way to remember the deceased. A turning point of the Victorian era came when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861. She began wearing all black, avoiding public appearances, and wearing dark-colored stones such as amethyst, onyx, jet, garnet, black glass, black enamel, or tortoiseshell. Death became more present in the minds of the American people, especially as the Civil War began that same year. Silver also became popular and affordable in America when a large supply was found in Nevada in the 1860s.





Victorian brooch with hair, surrounded by pearls and red gems in a metallic setting. The mood is vintage and ornate.
Mourning Brooch with hair- Wikipedia attribution.



Queen Victoria’s seclusion lasted until the end of her life, and she became known as the "widow of Windsor," leading to more unpopular opinions about the British monarchy and encouraging the idea of making Britain a republic (where heads of state are elected, not inherited). Jewelry became more simplistic by the 1870s due to Victoria's mourning period. Women wore little to no jewelry, reserving it for fancy or evening events. Gemstones were worn for their quality and beauty, rather than as symbols of wealth. On January 22, 1901, Queen Victoria died, officially ending her 63-year reign (the longest until Queen Elizabeth II) and the Victorian Era.


Popular Stones and Techniques

Cannetille and filigree jewelry became popular due to the rarity of precious stones during the period. Elaborate metalwork using silver, gold, and colored gold was generously employed. Micro mosaics, cameo carvings, and seed pearls made a comeback. Serpent imagery, rose gold, and ivory was also popular.

A renewed interest in the symbolic powers of gemstones, combined with nostalgia for the Middle Ages, led to more elaborate jewelry. It was during this period that creating jewelry with less than 18K gold became legal. Sentimental jewelry, such as spelling out words with the first letter of each stone (e.g., "Dearest" using diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire, topaz), became popular.

This should be grammatically correct and have the right spelling. Let me know if you need further adjustments!

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