The Art Deco period was an iconic moment in design, including jewellery design. It is such a unique style that is still popular and fashionable up to this day. The Art Deco movement started in the early 20th century, roughly from 1915 to the early 1930s, and saw revolutionary new designs created in many things, including jewellery. When looking at Art Deco engagement rings, you tend to find that they have similar features, and it is often easy to spot these designs over other styles. Below are some of the common features you find in Art Deco engagement rings, so you know what to look for when you go shopping for one.
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Geometric Shapes & Patterns
One of the things that make Art Deco stand out compared to other styles is the use of geometric shapes and patterns in the jewellery design. Art Deco jewellery design embraced sleek and clean lines, unlike those of the Art Nouveau period. They were a breath of fresh air to what had been available previously. All the beautiful 1920s Art Deco engagement rings you find have similar shapes and patterns, and you will also find that they tend to use similar materials to make the designs.
The Use Of White Metals
Another common trait of Art Deco jewellery design and the engagement rings made in this style is how they often use white metals to make the designs. In 1924, an extensive platinum deposit was found in South Africa, bringing this white metal back into popularity. The Art Deco movement embraced Platinum, and similar metals, such as white gold, sterling silver, and a result of this was that yellow gold was no longer fashionable.
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Eye-Catching Gemstone Cuts
The Art Deco movement also embraced technology and what this meant for gem cutting. The advancement in technology made it possible to do more complex cuts of precious gemstones, and the lapidary experts could play with how the light interacts more with the gems. The gemstones had more intricate cuts consisting of more facets, which made the gems stand out and sparkle, helping to increase their popularity.
The Embraced Coloured Gemstones
Another common feature you find in Art Deco engagement rings is the use of various coloured precious and semi-precious gemstones. Although you can get Art Deco jewellery using beautiful white diamonds, you find much more choice of coloured gemstone jewellery, including engagement rings. Some of the common gemstones that are available in Art Deco engagement rings include:
- Rubies
- Sapphires
- Emeralds
- Pearls
- Amber
- Black Onyx
- Topaz
The Art Deco jewellery designers loved to create designs that stood out and using coloured gemstones is an excellent way to do this.
The Use Of Filigree
Filigree was something that became much more popular due to the Art Dec movement, and it has been adapted and used in different jewellery styles since. Filigree is where the jewellery has intricate cutouts in the metal, creating beautiful geometric shapes. It was a technique made possible only by using die-cast machines, which was a technology invented in the middle of the 19th century.
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