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 Art Deco Jewelry: Modernist Masterworks And Their Maker  £39.29
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We are now well into the 21st century yet, ironically, the public’s desire for the classic styles of the past seems to increase on a daily basis. The fashion industry in particular is constantly rewriting and rediscovering classic styles from the past.
It should come as no surprise that art deco jewelry from the 20’s and 30’s is enjoying a huge surge in popularity. Anyone looking at one of the online auction houses such as eBay can’t help to notice the huge demand for art deco items, and in particular art deco jewelry.
The term art deco was coined at the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industrels Moderne (International Paris Exposition of Decorative and Modern Industrial Arts). It should be remembered though that Louis Cartier and other jewelry designers had begun to experiment with the style at least 20 years earlier. Stylistically, it is considered to be the successor of art nouveau which flourished in the period directly after the First World War.
Art historian Bevis Hillier thinks that art deco draws inspiration from various sources, including its predecessor art nouveau, the Russian Ballet, cubism, Bauhaus, and even American Indian art. Hillier also says that art deco speaks “to symmetry rather than asymmetry, and to the rectilinear rather than the curvilinear.” Since its creation, art deco design has had an influence on many aspects of life, including but not limited to on art, industry and architecture. The modern penchant for art deco themed hotels is just one aspect of art decos lasting appeal.
Art deco jewelry is rather unconventional in that it mixes precious, semi-precious, and even non-precious materials in one piece. The timeless diamond and saphire find themselves mixed with platinum, steel and even coral. The incorporation of the industrial materials of the 20?2 and 30’s into art deco jewelry is also a hallmark. Materials such as Bakelite (an early plastic) were often used. Indeed Bakelite jewelry is a very popular sub-category of art deco jewelry collection.
There are distinct categories of art deco jewelry available today. Rare, handcrafted pieces by famous designers such as Louis Cartier, Raymond Templier, Jean Dunand and Edouard Marcel Sandoz are highly sought after but expensive. For example, original Cartier jewelry such as pins, necklaces and bracelets can fetch anywhere from $5000 to $50000. Cartier’s pieces are noted for their incorporation of non-European, figurative designs (particularly Chinese, Egyptian and Indian), set against the linear backdrop of the art deco style.
The other category is the cheaper mass produced art deco costume jewelry. Though made from less costly materials, such items are still beautiful and wonderfully evocative of the 20’s and 30’s. Such pieces can still demand a premium of several hundred dollars and even more for particularly fine pieces. The authenticity and age of such pieces draws people to them. Playful, fun pieces incorporating Bakelite are just one type of art deco jewelry that is becoming increasingly popular.
Another category, that of reproductions exists, but it is not considered as collectible.
Art deco jewelry is smart, sophisticated and possesses timeless qualities that will never go out of style.