The Vintage Collection: What Was Old is New Again and Again…

by ml_visionstarts

The jewelry periods of Edwardian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco were all unique, rich in design innovation, and have all had lasting influence on jewelry design today.

Over 100 years ago jewelry design was experiencing an amazing period of growth and evolution in part due to the remarkable time in the modern world and in part due to the ability of “the masses” to purchase fine jewelry.

The Industrial Revolution empowered people to improve their standards of life through increased productivity and increased prosperity. Some of that prosperity found its way into the previously insular world of fine jewelry and fostered a golden era of design and creation of crafts of all kinds.

Each decade seemed to outshine the previous one and re-interrupt the rules of beauty and aesthetics. Each movement left an indelible mark on the history of the decorative arts and the goldsmiths were participating in each leap forward.

Edwardian evolved into Art Nouveau which in turn evolved into Art Deco. These three periods were all unique and powerfully persistent in their appeal to jewelry collectors and designers ever since.

Today’s jewelry scene, especially bridal, pays homage to each of these movements in different retro interpretations of the past. Until just a few years ago many of these styles were extremely difficult to execute on a custom order basis. Old world craftsmen have taken many of the skills with them to the points beyond. The delicate intricacy of many vintage designs is extremely demanding to execute well. Then along came computer aided design and computer aided milling (CAD-CAM.) This technical revolution has made it possible to create jewelry in a precise, intricate, and cost effective manner that would have otherwise been impossible in today’s world.

With the advancement of CAD-CAM and the improvements in desktop computing, a small shop (like ours) can create complex, beautiful work in any genre, cost effectively, and amazingly true to original detail. Both CAD-CAM and laser welding (becoming common even in small shops) have given jewelers the tools to create with nearly unlimited range and possibility.

These are indeed exciting times to create art, both historical and original.

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