Antique Art Nouveau Jewelry – Classy and Glamorous
Are you looking for stunning antique Art Nouveau jewelry pieces? Then you have come to the right place. DSF Antique Jewelry offers you some of the most inspiring models that will really make you stand out.
The Art Nouveau movement (1890 - 1910), although it didn't last long, left a strong impact on jewelry design, as in most fine arts. It is a style inspired by nature, organic forms such as plants, flowers, and the human body are at the very core of Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau style raised the creation of jewelry to the level of art.
The Birth of Antique Art Nouveau Jewelry
The name Art Nouveau comes from the name of an art gallery in Paris "Maison de l'Art Nouveau".
Art Nouveau appeared as a reaction to the strict rules that governed the creations of the nineteenth century. It was the result of a backlash against the more rigid and eclectic Victorian style.
The new current borrowed the lines of nature, distinguishing itself through fluid curves, inspired by the plant and animal kingdoms.
In the world of jewelry, the Art Nouveau style introduced new enameling methods and new materials, such as cast glass, ivory, topaz, more accessible for mass production than precious gemstones and precious metals.
Art Nouveau jewelry encompassed many distinct features, including a focus on feminine shape and emphasis on color, most commonly provided using enamel techniques, including bass-taille, champleve, cloisonné, and plique-à-jour.
The jewelry is inspired by vegetal, floral motifs, such as orchids, irises, dressings, vines, and animal motifs, such as swans, peacocks, snakes, and dragonflies. We can also observe mythological creatures and the woman with long and sinuous hair specific to the Art Nouveau style.
Famous Designers of Art Nouveau Jewelry
The famous exponents of Art Nouveau style jewelry really made ornaments that deserve the title of works of art.
William Asprey founded his company in 1781, in the south of London and, in time, came to focus on the production of luxury objects, with exclusive design.
In 1859, Queen Victoria recognized its merits, making this company the supplier to the royal house. Later, the Asprey Company came to distribute its products to large houses abroad, aristocrats and dignitaries often visiting the store in London.
William Asprey did not necessarily make Art Nouveau jewelry, but he did not withstand the current, also exhibiting pieces that can fit into this style. It is not at all easy to find genuine vintage Asprey jewelry to buy online. But we have collected some unique pieces that truly take your breath away!
For example, take a look at this exquisite white gold blue topaz ring, covered with sapphires and diamonds, mounted in 18 K gold, or at these gold diamond, ruby, and Keshi pearl earrings. You won't find such marvelous pieces easily!
Louis Aucoc is a typical French jeweler and goldsmith for Art Nouveau, his pieces being very appreciated. He founded "La Maison Aucoc" in 1877 and focused on gold jewelry with enamel and diamond inserts.
René Jules Lalique is probably the most admired Art Nouveau jeweler, his pieces are a real poem. The designer is the one who defined the aesthetics of this current through jewelry and glass pieces.
Lalique was Louis Aucoc's apprentice and a student at the Paris School of Decorative Arts. He studied sculpture at the Bernard Palissy School.
Lalique began his career in 1881 at Cartier and Boucheron. In 1905 he opened a store in Place Vendome, right next to the boutique of perfumer Francois Coty, which later led to a partnership, Lalique making bottles for Coty perfumes.
Plisson et Hartz is a French company that appeared in 1870 that produced Art Nouveau jewelry, but also models in the shape of golden griffins or mythical monsters, mermaids. The design of the flower basket made with a variety of precious stones and enamel has often been used.
Lucien Gautrait Art Nouveau Gold Enamel Sapphire Bracelet
The colony of artists from Darmstadt and Wiener Werkstätte made probably the most significant contribution to this trend, while in Denmark the famous Georg Jensen, known for his silver, also had a great influence.
In England, Liberty & Co. and Charles Robert Ashbee's British Arts and Crafts Movement contributed a slightly linear but still characteristic design.
The new style drew attention to the art of jewelry making from stone decoration to the artistic design of the piece itself. Lalique's dragonfly model is one of the best examples of this aspect.
Discover now our extraordinary collection of vintage Art Nouveau jewelry!
