Art Nouveau Birdcage

Characterized by bold colors, lavish details and a rich mix of materials, Luigi Ferrara jewelry is a love letter to Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Every ornate cocktail ring, conspicuous pendant necklace and stunning pair of drop earrings command attention and admiration.

Ferrara was born in Naples, Italy, which is known to jewelry collectors for its goldsmithing tradition. He came from a family of jewelers that established the Ferrara workshop in 1918. Ferrara developed a love for the craft himself, and he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome in 1967. In 1972, he started his own eponymously named jewelry company. The brand was later renamed "Ferrara GiFè Gioielli" for his son, Gianluca Ferrara.

Ferrara's jewelry business enjoyed substantial growth over its first few years. Part of the reason for its immediate success was that the jewelry offered a bright and audacious alternative to the trendy minimalism of the day. It was brimming with details and made extensive use of precious metals, pearls and colorful gemstones. One of the most provocative aspects of Luigi Ferrara jewelry is the use of coral, a longtime specialty of Naples goldsmiths. It features prominently in many of the company's bracelets and beaded necklaces. Ferrara also sought to create jewelry that was natural and easy to wear, ensuring that each piece was as functional as it was beautiful.

Today, Gianluca Ferrara serves as CEO of Ferrara GiFè Gioielli. The company regularly participates in exhibitions such as International Jewellery London and Spring Fair in Birmingham. It continues to produce vintage-inspired pieces but also offers a selection of contemporary jewelry.

On 1stDibs, find Luigi Ferrara earrings, rings, necklaces and more.

Art Nouveau — generally considered to have begun in the late 1800s and ended with the start of World War I — was a movement in the decorative arts that drew inspiration from natural forms, such as trees, flowers and, of course, the human figure. The three main themes present in Art Nouveau jewelry and watches were flora, fauna and women.

Art Nouveau, which reached its pinnacle in the year 1900, spawned from artists who rejected the historicism of their predecessors to create an entirely new visual vocabulary. As compared to Art Deco jewelry’s geometric patterns and sharp lines, the extravagant style of antique Art Nouveau jewelry is characterized by curvilinear forms and whiplash lines, vibrant materials and dramatic imagery.

The first art and design movement of the 20th century, Art Nouveau was also a reaction against the Industrial Revolution, and took its inspiration from the theories of the Symbolists, the art of the Pre-Raphaelites, the ideas of John Ruskin and his follower William Morris and, most importantly Japanese crafts. (The country was a fertile ground for inspiration after it was opened to the West in 1854.) The Art Nouveau style touched all manners of the arts, including the most exultant jewelry.

Nature was a favorite muse for artists going back to the 18th and 19th centuries, but in the hands of 20th-century artists, it was depicted in new ways. For example, a withering flower was considered just as beautiful as one in full bloom. Winged creatures, such as insects and birds, were also a popular subject. Dragonflies and butterflies were particular favorites because they morphed so dramatically in different life stages.

This was also a reference to women, whose role in society was evolving. It was not uncommon to see a piece of jewelry that would at once reference a woman as a winged creature (think René Lalique’s famous Dragonfly brooch, circa 1897–98, at the Gulbenkian Collection in Lisbon). However, just as women’s roles were ambiguous, so was their image, as the femmes nouvelle were simultaneously eroticized and romanticized.

In addition to Lalique, vital figures in Art Nouveau jewelry included Louis Comfort Tiffany in the United States, Vladimir Soloviev, who designed jewelry for Peter Carl Fabergé in Russia, Fuset Grau of Spain, Karl Rothmuller of Germany and Philippe Wolfers of Belgium.

Art Nouveau jewelers used every “canvas” imaginable, looking beyond brooches and necklaces to belt buckles, fans, tiaras, dog collars (a type of choker necklace), pocket watches, corsages and hair combs. Multicolored gems and enamel could complete this vision better than diamonds. Jewelers also favored pearls, particularly baroque pearls, for their large size and irregular shape. However, opal was the most popular stone — its iridescence harmonized perfectly with the enamel, and it could be carved into any shape. Art Nouveau jewelry was primarily set in yellow gold.

Find a range of antique Art Nouveau jewelry today on 1stDibs.