Jewellery through the eras

The eras at a glance

First, two words you'll hear a lot. According to GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, antique jewellery was made more than 100 years ago. Vintage jewellery isn't modern, but isn't old enough to be antique.

Jewellery historians group older pieces into eras. The dates overlap a little, and sources don't always agree, so treat them as a guide:

Georgian (1714–1837)

In the 1700s, diamonds came to dominate jewellery design. They were often set in silver to make the stones look whiter, and grand sets of diamond jewels were a must at court.

The typical diamond of the time was the old mine cut. Cutters shaped each stone by hand, following the natural shape of the rough crystal, so no two were quite alike. Old mine cuts have a soft, squarish outline, a small flat top and a high crown. They were designed to sparkle by candlelight.

Imitation gems called paste had been around since the 1600s. Sentimental jewellery was popular too. Through the 1700s and 1800s, many pieces held a lock of human hair as a keepsake of someone loved.

Victorian (1837–1901)

Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, and jewellery changed a lot along the way. GIA splits the era into three phases.

Early Victorian (1837–1861)

Romantic and full of nature. Look for serpents, flowers and hearts. Some pieces spelled out words with the first letter of each gemstone, a style called acrostic jewellery.

Mid-Victorian (1861–1880)

Prince Albert died in 1861, and Queen Victoria went into a long period of mourning. Mourning jewellery became hugely fashionable. Common materials included jet, onyx, black enamel, bog oak, vulcanite and gutta-percha. The jet industry boomed in Whitby, a coastal town in North Yorkshire, where jet had been taken from the shale beds since at least Roman times.

Late Victorian (1880–1901)

Jewellery became lighter and more delicate. After large finds of diamonds in South Africa in the late 1860s, they became more common, and the old European cut grew popular in the late 1800s.

Edwardian (about 1900–1915)

The era is named for King Edward VII, who led fashion late in his mother's reign and through his own, from 1901 to 1910. Edwardian jewellery is sometimes called the "garland style."

Platinum, diamonds and pearls were the materials of choice. Designers loved laurel wreaths, scrolls, feathers, tassels, ribbon bows and garlands of flowers. The look was light and lacy, yet because the gems were usually set in platinum, the pieces were very strong.

Art Nouveau (about 1890–1910)

Art Nouveau flourished across Europe and the United States. Its name was popularized by L'Art Nouveau, a Paris gallery opened by the dealer Siegfried Bing in 1895, and it's known for long, flowing, organic lines. In jewellery, it peaked around 1900, when it triumphed at the Paris International Exhibition.

Nature was everything: peacocks, swans, dragonflies, butterflies and flowers, plus fairies and mermaids. Jewellers like René Lalique cared less about precious stones and more about the effects of glass, horn and enamel.

Art Deco (1920s and 1930s)

The name comes from a 1925 exhibition in Paris, the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. At the time, people called the style "Style Moderne." The term "Art Deco" was only coined in the 1960s.

Art Deco jewellery is all about strong geometric patterns in bold, contrasting colours. Think white diamonds with black onyx, or diamonds with blue sapphires, red rubies or green emeralds.

Retro (about 1935–1950)

During the Second World War, platinum was needed by defence manufacturers. The US government declared it a wartime metal and banned it from civilian use. Jewellers turned to gold.

They often used lower-karat gold with extra copper, which gave it a warm, reddish colour, and rose gold made a comeback. Some pieces mixed rose and yellow gold. Designers took Art Deco's lines and softened them with curves, giving pieces a sculptural feel. Stones included rubies, sapphires and emeralds, and later softer colours like topaz, citrine, green beryl and aquamarine.

How to read the clues

Dating a piece is detective work. A few things to check:

• The diamond cut. A squarish, hand-cut old mine diamond points to the Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian eras. The old European cut was popular in the late 1800s.
• The metal. Diamonds set in silver were common in the 1700s. Platinum was the Edwardian favourite. Rose gold came back in the Retro years.
• The materials. Jet, black enamel, vulcanite or woven hair often mean Victorian mourning or keepsake jewellery.
• The motifs. Serpents and hearts, garlands and bows, dragonflies, sharp geometry or big curves each point to a different era.
• The stamps. Gold and platinum marks tell you what the metal is. Our guide on how to read gold and silver stamps explains them.

One clue is rarely proof. Even 19th-century jewellers often looked to the past for their designs.

Why estate pieces matter

Old jewellery carries two kinds of value: its story, and the gold, silver or platinum it's made of. Knowing the era helps you understand the first. Testing tells you about the second.

Questions people ask