When looking at the history of jewelry we must take into account the fact that some form of
jewelry and/or embellishment has been worn by people since ancient times. The desire
for ornamentation has existed for so long that it can be difficult to tell how or when specific forms of adornment began. That being said, the blog will provide a general timeline that illustrates the popular jewelry associated within each period. Let's remember, some jewelry designs have come in and out of style more than once, while a others have been completely forgotten. The blog will begin with a look at the first half of the 19th Century circa 1800-1850. A period known as Late Georgian 1760-1847, and Early Victorian 1837 - 1861
for ornamentation has existed for so long that it can be difficult to tell how or when specific forms of adornment began. That being said, the blog will provide a general timeline that illustrates the popular jewelry associated within each period. Let's remember, some jewelry designs have come in and out of style more than once, while a others have been completely forgotten. The blog will begin with a look at the first half of the 19th Century circa 1800-1850. A period known as Late Georgian 1760-1847, and Early Victorian 1837 - 1861
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| Peacock Tiara of Gilt Metal Burmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
1800 – 1850 Key elements in the early 19th Century jewelry were:
- Nature related designs - flowers, leaves, insects, and feathers
- Use of pearls, turquoise, and amethyst
- Appearance of enameling; creating multi-colored styles of gold jewelry
- Brooches became a dominate fashion trend - Cameos were the rage
- Mid 1800s also saw the emergence of animal & gothic designs
- Other period "trends" were - mourning jewelry (often with woven hair), beautiful micro mosaics, and wonderful embellished hair combs and ornamentation
Noteworthy Dates
- 1801 The first American factory for manufacture of fine jewelry is established in Newark, N.J.
- 1820s Ancient gold work is found in Etruscan excavations
- 1840s Electroplating is patented and large scale manufacturing begins in the U.S. while repousse' and machine stamping are emerging
- 1847 Cartier is founded in Paris
- 1848 Rolled gold plating is introduced in Providence, R.I.
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| Early 19th Century Gold and Enamel Earrings Christies.com |
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| Turquoise and Diamond Cresent Brooch Lang Antiques |
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| Snake Bracelet Gold Turquoise and Woven Hair |
Swiss Bug Watch
Met Museum.org
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| Micro Mosaic Pendant Museum of Fine Arts Boston |
Also, new to this era was the emergence of Berlin Ironworks jewelry
- Began c.1804-1806
- 1st produced at the Royal Prussian Foundry
- Composed of black enameling with geometric wire designs
- Morphed into the "neo-classical" style
- Featured repousse' medallions combined w/fine chain work
- Continued to be a strong influence on future jewelry design
"Berlin Ironworks are pieces of cast iron jewelry that originated in Berlin in about 1804 . . . During the Prussian war with Napoleon, German citizens were encouraged to donate their gold and silver to the cause and were given these iron jewels as replacements. They later caught on elsewhere as mourning jewelry as they were already black."
Quote and Images found on
ImmortalPie.Wordpress.com
Very few pieces of Berlin Ironworks jewelry have survived and yet, the influence of this jewelry's design is still alive and well. During the war with Napoleon, his army confiscated all the molds that were used to make this jewelry, making it difficult to identify origin of specific pieces, Germany vs France.
19th Century Jewelry from Etsy shops
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| Victorian 18K Diamond Pearl Enamel Bracelet MidWestArtObjects |
Gilt Silver Turban Ornament
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| Antique Italian Micro Mosaic BebeandKay |
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| Georgian Gold Enamel Earrings Adinantiquejewellry |
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| Victorian Antique 18K Diamonds Ring MidWestArtObjects |
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| Rare Antique 18k Gold Ring MidWestArtObjects |
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| Vintage Jewels and Junk |
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| 19th Century Hair Clip/Sash Pin Prettyinprague |
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| Etrusican Hinged Bracelet YourGreatFinds |
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 Rare Antique Grenadier Guards Pin BebeandKay |
Thanks to all the Etsy shops that provided their gorgeous jewelry as reference. Click on the image or
the link to visit their shops
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Excellent post!! Thank you for including two of my pieces, it's an honor!
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