FASHION JEWELRY

History of Handcrafted Jewelry - Handmade Beaded Jewelry

According to National Geographic, the oldest beads date from 70,000 yrs old. It has been considered the beginnings of Symbolic thinking. They were very rudimentary forms, a bead was tied to a strip of leather or cord. They would use feathers, bone, shell, horn, tusks or animals around their necks.

Jewelry is considered any ornament people would wear. Whether in the form of bracelets, necklaces, brooches, pendants, rings, hairpieces, diadems, tiaras, hairpins even combs were used and decorated with gems. Its use has been mainly for personal embellishment. It has also been used for religious or magical purposes, or as a symbol of wealth and status.

Gradually by 3000 BC crafters discovered that if gold be heated it could be shaped , so silver, copper and bronze were also tried and used. By this time, they had learned how to work bone, wood, horn and metal.

The earliest example of jewelry found, date from the Summerians (Modern Day Iraq), in the Tomb of an ancient Queen. The Queen was covered with a robe made with the most exquisite semi-precious stones, and gold beaded silver, Lapis Lazuli, Carnelian, Agate and Chalcedony.

The Egyptians believed precious stones and gems had magical powers as well as good luck. They were involved with gold, it was easy to work and would not tarnish. Their favorite stones were Turquoise, Carnelians and Lapis Lazuli. They also liked working glass, faience and enamel.

As the Greek, they were the first in loved with Metalsmith” they worked mixed metals such as gold and silver into forms of shells, flowers and beetles. But by 300 BC, after Alexander the Great had open all trade Routes with the Far East, Greeks began to add color and all sorts of semi-precious  gemstones such as Emeralds, Garnets, Amathysts and Pearls were added into their designs. They also began carving Cameos of Indian Sadonyx (brown pink/cream Agate stone) along with filigree work.

Once the Romans developed their own style, “gold settings” were created and the use of semi-precious spread. The Romans were the first to use the ring as a symbol of engagement and their favorite piece were the ring with the gems settings. They would use Sapphires, Cloudy Emeralds, garnets, Amber, Indian Diamonds, Crystals. They would also make clasps, necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

As the Middle Ages comes and Christianity spreads as the Roman Emperor Constantine embraces it and as the Byzantine Empires becomes strong so does its influence in jewelry designs. Inspired in Iconoclasm or Holy Images  Idolatration. The Heart of Jesus, Miraculous Medal, Guardian Angel, The Virgen Mary, St. Joseph and the Cross and Crucifix. It remained until the arrival of Islam and as they settled so did their traditions. They wore rings, pendants and necklaces. At the same time jewelry started becoming more colorful. The Goths, Vandals, Huns, Frans and Lombards who used to live in this area, took it over the regions once it belonged to the Greeks and Romans. Their Fibula were clasps pin.

And as we move to Western Europe, Medieval Sumptuary Laws came into force, common people in France and England could not wear girdles of coronals made of pearls, gemstones, gold or silver. Only Royalty and members of the court were allowed to wear jewelry.

The Renaissance marks the period of Reformation. Great Artists of the time as Leonardo Da Vinci, Fra Fillippo Lippi, Boticelli, they were all called to make portraits so it was very popular to have all sorts of Jewelry being made for the occasion. The hair was particularly  important and precious stones ornaments became in style. Special attention to the piece that would be worn for the occasion.

During this period women would use more than one necklace piece, they would first wear a choker and second longer necklace which usually was a lengthy strand of pearls. Pearls became very strong, Jaquin of Paris had patented a method of making fake Pearls, Paris became the capital of the fake jewelry. They would make just about any kind of fake, including Opals.

AS the Renaissance begins to fade the Baroque style begins to grow. Fake jewelry spread and so was the use of jewelry ornament, from buckles, hairpins and the famous Chateline which were used as a jeweled buckle to be worn in shoe, the favorite stones were the use of Diamonds and other gemstones. It was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

When the Empire established Napoleon revived fashion and jewelry as well as gems were re-set to Neo-classical Style, jeweled, buttons and Cameos, and the trend was copied all over Europe. The famous Parure were created, which consisted on a coordinated set of precious gems that included a necklace, a comb, a Tiara, a Diadem, a Bandeau, A pair of Bracelet, Pins, Rings, Drop earrings, a Cluster and a Belt Clasp.

Napoleon use of Cameos during the Coronation made it the Rage of images. Cameos were sometimes made of shells or Wedgewood Porcelain. Combining with the mass production prices, the emphasis was on the use of cheaper gemstones a Aquamarine, amethyst, Chalcedony, Turquoise, Coral, Amber, Lapis Lazuli, Garnets , Marcasite,  and Seeds Pearls.

On the other side, when Queen Victoria came to the throne the theme was more Romantic and Nationalistic. And it marks the influences of the Industrial Revolution the mass production in England, Germany , Providence, Rhode Island meant the quality was inferior and as women demanded for higher quality the Artist Craftsman jewelers emerged. Tiffany began to make fine jewelry with such success that they opened up shops in many European cities.  So the “Arts and Crafts Jewelry” was born, it was a reaction to the mass production of the Industrial Revolution, It was a movement that was more based on floral, primitive or Celtic forms, they had simple and gentler looks. Their techniques were the Cabochon cuts, usually bezel-set.

But very quickly “Art Nouveau Jewelry” followed, it was recognized by its natural curving movements, turning into birds or flowers forms by its use of natural motifs such as butterflies, dragonflies, poppies, orchids, birds, reptiles, irises, were very popular. And the use of animals such as snakes or serpents, bats, owls, vultures, peacocks. Non-traditional materials such as Horn and Ivory were used as well as glass. The technique mostly used was the enamel and the gemstones more used were the Opals, Amber, Garnet and Agate. Rene Lalique represents very well this movement but as they mass produced, Art Nouveau declined.

During the 1920’s The Art Deco and mass produced jewelry  or fake was sometimes called cocktail jewelry. Peter Carl Faberge and Coco Chanel were its pioneer as well as Elsa Schiaparelli, they both encouraged mixing costume jewelry with genuine gems. They initiated the Freedom of Designers, offering imagination and fun at the same time, among the leading Art Deco jewelry designers were Cartier, Mauboussin, Lalique, Fouquet, Boucheron, Sandoz, Templier , Depres as well as Tiffany.

In  1940’s and 1950’s the Americans had invaded Europe it was the Retro Style. The metals used were Rose, Yellow and Green, highly polished gold. And the semi-precious gemstones were Emerald, Aquamarine, Citrines and Amathyste, Golden Beryl, Peridots an a lower scale were the Rubbies, Sapphires and Diamonds and as Brazil discovered more minerals many other stones were used such as Kunzite, Topaz, Chrysoberyl and Tourmaline. The French Jeweler Mauboussin said “The jewelry of the Forties was the Jewelry of an Age of Crisis, so it is, logical that it should come to an end with the crisis itself” The movie films and the film stars were the fashion, as in the make-up, hair & clothes. People wanted to wear copies of jewelry  worn by their idols. During the war fine jewelry was hard to find, metals were rationed. But as production methods became faster and efficient the variety of designs flourishes, according to new styles of living and at more affordable prices. And so the alloy began to change the shift from 18k to 14k. Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, Marcus & Co., Shreve, Crump & Low, Black, Starr & Frost, Most jewelry was signed by each house and some are in perfect  conditions as of today. The most popular gemstones used were Diamonds, Rubbies, Sapphires, Black Onys, Emeralds, Coral, Ivory, Jade, Mother Pearl and Quartz. The preferred metals were Platinum, White Gold and Silver. The finer pieces of Art Deco ornament are Handmade.

And next came the ”Era of Acquarius”, the Beatles, the “Man on the Moon”, “Vietnam War”, “Free Love”, “Drugs”, “Hippies” and with all this movement going on th e Do Your Own Thing Credo of the 60s transformed the world of jewelry. Artisans began to create with no boundaries, but they not only designed but also manufactured and marketed their product. Fashion became Funky as Carnaby  Street, it became Hip, witty, animated cartoon, all fun fancy and leading this Mardis Gras were cheap materials, neon colors, mother nature, abstract patterns, cabochons in textured mounts, animal motifs, garlands, leaves, flowers. The gold was chiseled, reeded, hammered, corded, plated and twisted. Lucite was introduced along with bright plastics, bangles, grant pendants, articulated animals such as owl, wild animals, spiky flesh, flowers, leaves, stars, voluminous gemstones, cascades, flaming stars, leather, cords, ribbons and let’s not forget the Peace Sign.

“The World was at War”, “Franco Dies and Spain Blooms”, A Polish Cardinal was chosen Pope”. The 1970s were here, it was a time of confusion, and in general men at war, women had to do their shopping and new changes started rising. Anything Earthy became the trend, more non-precious and organic material were introduced into the pieces, like rock, crystals, exotic woods, Coral. The strong palette of colors was shown on the use of Malachite, Rose Quartz, Carnelian and Ivory. And the fashion became long necklaces with oval shaped links, Onyx, Gold mountings with Diamonds, Long Chains made with Gems, Enameled, Beads, Flowers as well as geometrical shapes and as the seventies came to close confusion still remained.

And so came the 80’s, jewelry became “affordable and large, chunky and bold, colorful and unusual, elegant and sophisticated” and all of the sudden custom jewelry took the front of the stage, No one wanted real gems the fake were affordable and at very great prices and so came the 80s style and “Fashion Accessories” and “Fashion Jewelry” . Gold was still the metal of choice, only that Electroplating and gold plating took over at more reasonable prices. Layered chains, Short strands, medallions, large beads, crystals, pearls, crosses, leaves, Fleurs de Lis, cork, macramé, hemp, wood, silk, plastic and metal. The 80s was Ladi Di, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Dinasty and Dallas TV Series.

Then the 90s came with the “Hip,Hop” the era of branding, name recognition, the trends created by the mass media, the television and the internet. It was swavaroski   with its innovative cut of Diamonds and crystals in every color. It was the colored pearls, colored stones and the metal of choice shifted to Platinum, Silver, Silver plated, Pewter and others white metals.

To finish with the Millenium “the Peak of Consumer Age” , the Handmade becomes stylish, it becomes “Art you can Wear”. The use of multi-materials such as Rhinestones, Swavaroski, Quartz, Zirconia and gemstones of all sorts, the metals white and gold, Platinum, Vermeil, Gold-filled, Gold plating, Silver, Nickel, Brass with the integration of cords, leather, suede, sash, ribbons, plastic, acrylics, wood, glass, resin, cliossone.

Putting the focus on the Artisans creativity to fit Modern and Stylish Women.