The Modern Day Allure Behind Antique Diamond Jewelry

By Rachel

December 30th, 2010

Antique Diamond Jewelry has an allure that goes beyond mere sparkle. Sales reports and red carpet snapshots prove that the popularity regarding jewelry designs of the past has grown over recent years. So much so, that luxury diamond jewelry designers have begun to recreate these stunning pieces, offering consumers a vast array of contemporary designs inspired by classic lore. What fuels this wide spread fascination is the romantic history behind these jewelry designs, the unsurpassed beauty and attention to detail that antique jewelry possesses, and the stellar uniqueness demonstrated by each piece. While contemporary diamond jewelry surely continues to draw a demand and is beautiful in its own right, antique examples have certainly become some of the most talked about and admired jewelry designs on the market.

Antique diamond jewelry draws inspiration from many past eras. For centuries jewelry has been coveted by all levels of society and has symbolized status, power, religious affiliation, and culture. About 300 BC, Plato used gemstones to illustrate flora, fauna, and celestial beings. Around the same time, Aristotle wrote about the magical power of precious gemstones, and kings and queens throughout history have used diamond jewelry and other precious gems to display status and wealth, and commemorate significant events.

Gothic Cross in Platinum

Much of the antique diamond jewelry created today draws not only from this ancient history, but from more recent times as well. Romantic designs created during the Georgian, Edwardian, and Art Deco eras serve as the primary influences for these vintage inspired contemporary jewelry pieces. Today, creative jewelry designers draw intricate details, delicate patterns, and beautiful diamond and gemstone arrangements from designs created in the last three hundred years.

What makes antique diamond jewelry so incredibly beautiful and unique are these romantic influences. Pieces created during the Georgian Era, circa 1700-1800s, are very difficult to find today, but contemporary designers are creating new pieces inspired by the period’s love of Classical design. Much of the jewelry produced during this era was hand made, so original pieces often demonstrated slight irregularities making every one unique, but less perfect then designs from later periods. Georgian jewelry influences include ancient Greek motifs, cameos inspired by Napoleon’s wife Josephine, tied ribbon necklaces, girandole earrings which include a stone at the ear and three drops that dangle, stylized floral designs, and rose cut diamonds.

Antique diamond jewelry inspired by the later Edwardian Period is slightly more detailed and extravagant. During the Edwardian Period, fabrics of lace and silk were highly popular, inspiring ornate jewelry designs. New technologies allowed jewelry to easily created detailed pieces of platinum, diamonds, pearls, and gold, and delicate milgrain detail. Necklace styles included: negligee, a necklace with two equal length pedants; sautior, long necklaces of beads that reaches past the waistline and finish with tassels; and lavaliere, necklaces that are comprised of a thin chain and a lavish pendant. Antique diamond jewelry inspired by this era is highly lavish and very detailed.

Antique Diamond jewelry inspired by the Art Deco era utilized advances in technologies, bringing about new stone cuts. Still very popular today, these new cuts included emerald, marquise, and pear shapes. Inspired by African art, the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb, and advances in transportation technology, jewelry designs of the Art Deco era were more geometric and bold than the lace-like designs of the precious eras. Colorful gemstones were often incorporated with diamonds, platinum became widely used, and black and white diamond jewelry became quite a status symbol. Pave settings were very typical of the era, where jewelers place tiny diamonds adjacent to each other creating a sparkling blanket effect. Other styles of the era included long drop earrings, bangle bracelets, and lengthy strands of beads and pearls, which were tied around the neck.

Asscher Deco Earrings in Platinum

Today, the classic handmade pieces of the 1700s and 1800s, the extravagant and ornate work of the Edwardian Era, and the modern designs of the 1920s and 1930s inspire much of the antique diamond jewelry offered. These historic influences give contemporary vintage pieces the incredible uniqueness difficult to demonstrate in modern jewelry designs. This romantic history, unsurpassed beauty, and attention to ornate detail are the source of the modern day allure behind antique diamond jewelry, leading the most exclusive jewelers in the world such as Bulgari, Harry Winston, Chopard, Cartier, and Graff to offer unique vintage inspired pieces.