Unlike the rest of the terms that we will be covering “antique” does not refer to a specific time period. Instead, “antique” is a generalized term that simply refers to a style that is 100 years old or more. Thus, anything that is 19th century and older would be considered antique. This also means that other styles with more specific names like that of “Georgian”, “Edwardian”, and/or “art deco”, are considered antique styles. But others that come from an earlier date, like that of “retro”, “mid-century”, and “modern” are not considered antique, whether you have lived through that time or not. That’s right Gen Z, your parents’ jewellery is not considered antique, not yet anyway.
The most common antique jewellery found are pieces that date back to the 18th-19th century. 18th century jewellery typically consisted of extremely detailed bodice ornaments and shoulder-length dangling earrings. Most gems used during this time were cut in a style called “rose-cut”. Rose-cut means that the stone is completely flat on one side with a faceted dome on the other. This style of cutting gems (including diamonds) was the best means of creating shine in the dim candlelight atmosphere of the 18th century.
The most popular thing to do with jewellery in the 19th century was to have what was called “parures”. A parure is an elaborate matching jewellery set composed of a necklace, bracelet, brooch, rings, earrings, and in some cases a tiara. Talk about extra. As you can imagine this was very popular among the rich, because it was the best way to show off one’s wealth. If you had at least one parure you were a member of the upper-class. Colour stones were also common among the wealthy because they were considered different and hard to come by.
EXAMPLES OF ANTIQUE JEWELLERY
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