Rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, pendants or earrings: the Art Deco second hand jewelry market still has a great future ahead of it.

Today, jewelry from the Art Deco era is highly sought after by antique jewelry lovers. Simple, clean lines, geometric, symmetrical and modern designs, Art Deco jewelry is insanely classy and continues to appeal to vintage jewelry connoisseurs.

The history of antique Art Deco jewelry

The Art Deco movement is the second major artistic movement that marked the jewelry industry in the early 20th century. It is the main current of the interwar period, it begins in 1920 until 1939. It succeeds the Art Nouveau movement (also called Belle Époque) which marked the early 1900s.

The Art-Deco movement, nicknamed “The Roaring Twenties” appeared in the early 1920s. Unlike Art Nouveau jewelry, which was inspired by representations of nature, Art Deco jewelry is recognizable by its very geometric appearance. The Art Deco movement takes its name from the 1925 Decorative Arts exhibition. This movement is derived from several currents:

• Cubism with its geometric forms;
• Indian art with its carved and colored stones;
• Egyptian popular art following the exhibition of Tutankhamen in 1922;
• Oriental art with its symbols (dragon, pagoda, Buddha) or ;
• African art with its ebony and ivory bracelets such as Nancy Cunard’s bracelets (which were, in fact, Masai jewelry for men).

Art Deco style jewelry: a real novelty

The motifs in Art Deco jewelry

Art Deco is accomplished in jewelry: the great names of this trend are Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef, Jean Després, Georges Fouquet, or the Danish Georg Jensen.

Unlike the bracelets or rings of the Belle Époque, there is no longer any question of flowers and nature in the designs of Art Deco jewelry. After the Great War, it is the geometric aspect that prevails: it refers to the weapons of war. This will also be the case for the jewelry of the 50s with the appearance of tank jewelry.

The precious metals of Art Deco jewelry

In terms of materials, we turn away from gold to appreciate more metals with cold colors such as silver, platinum and white gold. These metals are often worked with the filigree technique (a kind of metallic lace in gold or silver) which requires an excellent mastery of goldsmithing. If this technique is not new, it had never been applied with such mastery.

Colors and gemstones of Art-Deco jewelry

Cold colors for stones are also favored with, for example, sapphire and emerald, but especially the old cut diamond (it is only later that we will discover the brilliant cut with its 58 facets). Moreover, the great novelty of art deco jewelry is the calibration of gems to form patterns, geometric shapes. Van Cleef & Arpels became the reference in this field with its mystery setting.

The Art Deco jewels are also, very often set with decorative stones such as onyx, carnelian, chrysoprase … Remember also that the context is an exit of war, therefore people also buy synthetic stones, because it is much cheaper. This is a phenomenon that will be repeated after the Second World War on the jewelry of the 50s.

The pieces composed of rubies are rarer, but still present as we can see for example with the bracelet Garter of Marlene Dietrich, custom-made creation made by Van Cleef & Arpels for the actress and she will never leave. She wore it in the film L’Ange Bleu, which was a prerequisite for her to accept to shoot.

The art deco jewelry is then as well for the tomboy who likes to go out and have fun as for the elegant and social woman who wishes to have jewelry of her time.

Antique art deco jewelry for sale in Paris

Today the Art Deco trend in jewelry is considered the most popular “antique style”. If you want to buy or sell art deco jewelry, come see us at Village Suisse! We have a selection of rings, bracelets, earrings and vintage Art Deco necklaces. If you are a fan of jewelry from this era, you will find wonders that will delight you. If you wish to sell or know the value of your Art Deco jewel, we propose you an oral expertise completely free. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

If you are interested in Art Deco’s jewels, don’t hesitate to discover what Les Pierres de Julie offer in our store…

We are also available for any free expertise of your vintage jewelry, for that you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.

Whether you're interested in buying a piece of jewellery or a stone, a free jewelry appraisal or jewelry resale, Pierres de Julie welcomes you to its Parisian boutique in the Village Suisse, a stone's throw from the Ecole Militaire and the Esplanade des Invalides.