The History of Jewelry: Art Deco Period Jewellery
The Art Deco Movement (1925 to 1939)
Article Copyright © 2010 AllAboutGemstones.com
The Art Deco movement was founded by members of the French artists' collective known as the La Société des artistes décorateurs, following the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels, held in 1925. Some of the movement's founders such as Eugène Samuel Grasset (1845—1917) and Hector Guimard (1867—1942) were also instrumental in establishing the Art Nouveau movement some twenty years earlier. The Art Deco style also borrowed from the other Modernism movements of the time, such as Bauhaus, Cubism, Empire Neoclassicism and Futurism.
The movement was originally referred to as "Style Moderne," and it wasn't until the 1960s when English art historian Bevis Hillier (born 1940) first coined the name "Art Deco." The name "Art Deco" refers to the movement's effect on the "decorative arts," meaning the more commercial and utilitarian artistic disciplines of architecture, graphic arts, and industrial design, but the name was also used in reference to the "fine arts." As a stylistic motif, Art Deco managed to permeate every aspect daily life, from fashion, to consumer products, to film. Of coarse, jewelry was no exception, and the Art Deco movement had a profound effect on jewellery design motifs of the period.
Chrysler Building (left), Djenné Mosque in Mail (right - Photo: Public Domain)
The Art Deco style is probable one of the easiest artistic styles to recognize, with its modern ultra clean lines, and its trapezoidal shapes, stepped edges, and arced corners. What might be surprising to some is how the movement was influenced by indigenous primitive motifs from the ancient Aztec and Egyptians, or from tribal African motifs (see Mali photo above, right).
Jewellery from the Art Deco Period
Jewellery from the Art Deco period took on an 'architectural' appearance, with gemstones being cut in bold geometric shapes such as the emerald cut, pentagon, trapezoid, or triangle "trillion" cut. Another characteristic of the Art Deco movement was to combine bold, contrasting tones like black and white. Diamonds and light colored gemstones were mixed with dark materials of black onyx or bakelite, for a striking appearance. Diamonds were also pavé set into bold patterns to form a contrasting white field.
Art Deco Mauboussin Wristwatch |
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Coca Cola Building c. 1937 (Photo: Public Domain) |
Because the Art Deco movement was basically an "industrial-age" art movement, white (industrial) metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium were commonly used in jewelry fabrication—along with white gold and ubiquitous metals such as sliver, brass and copper—to lend a more contemporary look. American jewelry designers like Harry Winston and Tiffany & Co. became known for their iconic Art Deco style. In Europe, designers like Cartier, the House of Mauboussin (photo of wristwatch above), and Van Cleef & Arpels were at the forefront of the Art Deco jewellery movement.
One of the offshoots to the Art Deco movement was the "Streamline Moderne" movement in the late 1930s, with its more rounded, nautical feel. Famous examples of the Streamline Moderne movement are the Pan Pacific Auditorium and Coca Cola Building (above, right), both in Los Angeles, California. Jewelry design from the late 1930s and early 1940s reflected this design trend as well.
Bibliography on Art Deco Jewelry
1. University of Mass., The Bauhaus School  . www.cs.umb.edu
2. Art Movements, Art Deco . www.artmovements.co.uk
3. Oppi Untracht, Jewelry Concepts & Technology - Complete Reference Guide . Doubleday
4. The Center for Jewelry Studies, Period, & Vintage Jewelry . www.center4jewelrystudies.org
5. Haute Horlogerie, The first Art Deco Period . www.hautehorlogerie.org
6. Interview With Modernist Studio Jewelry Collector Marbeth Schon . www.collectorsweekly.com
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