Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Fascination with the Jazz Age is endless, and even today jewelry designers continue to be inspired by authentic Art Deco jewelry and watches.
The Art Deco period, encompassing the 1920s and ’30s, ushered in a very distinct look in the design of jewelry. There were many influences on the jewelry of the era that actually began to take shape prior to the 1920s. In 1909, Serge Diaghilev brought the Ballet Russes to Paris, and women went wild for the company’s exotic and vibrant costumes It’s no wonder, then, that jade, lapis lazuli, coral, turquoise and other bright gemstones became all the rage. There already existed a fascination with the East, particularly China and Japan, and motifs consisting of fans and masks started to show up in Art Deco jewelry.
However, the event that had the greatest influence on Deco was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922. When the world saw what was hidden in Tut’s burial chamber, it sent just about everyone into a frenzy. Pierre Cartier wrote in 1923 that “the discovery of the tomb will bring some sweeping changes in fashion jewelry.” And he couldn’t have been more right. “Egyptomania” left an indelible mark on all of the major jewelry houses, from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Georges Fouquet. (Cartier created some of the most iconic jewelry designs that defined this era.)
While a lot of Art Deco jewelry was black and white — the black coming from the use of onyx or black enamel and the white from rock crystal and diamonds — there is plenty of color in jewelry of the era. A perfect accent to diamonds in platinum settings were blue sapphires, emeralds and rubies, and these stones were also used in combination with each other.
Many designers employed coral, jade and lapis lazuli, too. In fact, some of the most important avant-garde jewelers of the period, like Jean Després and Jean Fouquet (son of Georges), would combine white gold with ebony and malachite for a jolt of color.
A lot of the jewelry produced during this time nodded to current fashion trends, and women often accessorized their accessories. The cloche hat was often accented with geometric diamond brooches or double-clip brooches. Backless evening dresses looked fabulous with sautoir necklaces, and long pearl necklaces that ended with tassels, popular during the Edwardian period, were favored by women everywhere, including Coco Chanel.
Find unique Art Deco necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
1920s Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold, Enamel
1920s French Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Silver, Enamel
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate
20th Century French Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Ruby, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Swiss Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Aquamarine, Crystal
1980s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
18k Gold, Gold Plate
20th Century Swiss Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver, Silver Plate
1920s French Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Early 2000s European Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Bronze
Late 20th Century Swiss Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
18k Gold, Gold Plate
1920s European Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
1920s European Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
1980s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate
1970s English Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
18k Gold, Gold Plate
Mid-19th Century French Antique Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold
1940s Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Ruby, Gold, Gold Plate, Yellow Gold, Vermeil, Silver, Sterling Silver
1950s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Belgian Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1920s British Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Platinum
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver Plate
1980s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
18k Gold, Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Aquamarine, Crystal
20th Century Czech Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
1920s British Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
1980s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
18k Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century English Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold, Gold Plate
1980s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
18k Gold, Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Crystal
20th Century Czech Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Crystal, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Tourmaline
1920s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold
1920s American Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate, Enamel
2010s Greek Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Bronze
Late 20th Century Swiss Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate
1920s European Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century English Antique Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate
1920s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Japanese Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
1920s American Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate, Enamel
1910s Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Amethyst, Silver
1930s North American Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Swiss Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate
1930s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
1950s British Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Enamel
1920s Austrian Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver
Mid-20th Century Swiss Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
1930s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
1930s English Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Late 20th Century English Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold, Gold Plate
Early 19th Century French Antique Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold Plate, Silver
1940s Swiss Vintage Art Deco Objets d'Art and Vertu
Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold