Vintage Jewelry: What to Know

Not only is vintage jewelry a terrific way to stick with your eco-friendly ideals, but vintage anything is fashionable, elegant, and very, very trendy. In fact, more and more weddings—green or otherwise—are following a vintage theme. If you’ve been considering going vintage for your wedding rings, but are unsure of what style and time period is right for you, the following information will help you know what to look for, so you can find your perfect vintage wedding jewelry:

• Victorian Jewelry: The Victorian era follows the reign of Queen Victoria in Great Britain from 1836 through 1901. Queen Victoria was a romantic with sentimental ideals, and this outlook was reflected in the jewelry of this era. Flowers, bows, birds, and hearts were used in jewelry designs, as were serpent motifs. When looking at jewelry from the Victorian era, you’ll see that the engagement rings are set in rose or yellow gold with very elegant, intricate designs.

Some of the popular gems of the Victorian time period include amethysts, garnets, opals, seed pearls, and turquoise. Near the end of the Victorian era, diamonds were discovered in South Africa, and they rose in popularity quickly.

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• Art Nouveau Jewelry: The Art Nouveau era began somewhere around 1890 and ended around 1919. As you can see, this era overlaps the Victorian era by more than a decade. Within jewelry from the Art Nouveau period, you’ll see soft curves, pale colors, and sinuous lines as a celebration of the feminine form. Also, nature motifs, such as butterflies, dragonflies, poppies, irises, lilies, and orchids were important and also appeared in the jewelry design of this time. The favored gemstones of this era were amber, opals, citrines, peridots, pearls, and moonstones.

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• Edwardian Jewelry: The Edwardian period began around 1901 and lasted through 1920. The jewelry of this era was cosmopolitan in flair, and jewelers used platinum and diamonds in intricately designed, lacy, filigree patterns. The favored gems were rose-cut diamonds, rich peridots, creamy pearls, and brilliant sapphires. Edwardian jewelry is elegant, intricate, and has a light and airy appearance in form.

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• Art Deco Jewelry: The Art Deco period spans from 1920 through 1935. The jewelry of this era is dazzling, bright, playful, and bold, much like the attitude of the day. Much of the jewelry from the Art Deco era is flamboyant with strong Egyptian influences, sphinx and falcon motifs, and geometric cuts for gems. Emeralds, sapphires, turquoise, coral, and rubies were the favored gems of the Art Deco time period.

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• Retro Jewelry: This is the last vintage period, beginning in the 1930s and ending sometime around 1950. Retro era jewelry is characterized by chunky styles, with large, colorful gemstones being showcased in oversized, rectangular cuts. Rose, yellow, white, and green gold were used with aquamarines, citrines, and other brightly colored gemstones, including synthetic rubies and sapphires. Engagement rings were designed with illusion settings, giving a modestly sized diamond a much larger look.

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There are so many beautiful vintage pieces of jewelry available. Within the five eras above, any bride is sure to find the exact right style for her.

Tags: Windsor Ontario Jewelry, Jewellery Windsor Ontario, Wedding Rings Windsor, Diamond Rings Windsor, Bridal Jewelry