Royal Jewels

[Sithathoriunet]

Snake-shaped ring. Greek artwork, 4th century BC.

 

[Sithathoriunet]

Snake Armlet - Rome, First Century BC, gold

 

[Sithathoriunet]

queen victoria, ie the ''victorian age''.

 

[Sithathoriunet]

queen mary, victoria''s grand daughter

 

[Sithathoriunet]

here is a lovely photo of diana at harrod''s...she has on her amazing gold necklace..i love it!

 

[Sithathoriunet]

and one more...

 

[Sithathoriunet]

boy was i ever behind the times..i had not known that garrard''s was replaced as royal jeweller by the queen in 2007...but just in case i wasn''t the only one who was out of it..here''s one of the many articles ...
''

For more than 160 years, Garrard of Mayfair has proudly carried the responsibility of being the official Crown Jeweller.

Since the days of Queen Victoria, the luxury jewellery house has maintained and restored the Crown jewels, making sure they are resplendent for grand State occasions.

But now the company has been told its services are no longer required, and the role will instead be handed to a small family business in the Home Counties.

The decision was announced in a short appendix to yesterday''s Court Circular issued by Buckingham Palace, which said the Queen was ''pleased to appoint'' Kentbased Harry Collins.

According to the Palace, it was simply ''time for a change''.

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Tradition: The Queen in Garrard-maintained gems

But it also comes after a gradual image shift for Garrard, which in 1996 appointed Jade Jagger - daughter of Rolling Stone Sir Mick Jagger - as its creative director.

Among her designs were gold chain-mail underwear, diamond-studded revolver pendants and devil-themed trinkets.

Then came the appointment of raunchy pop singer Christina Aguilera as the company''s new face, a move some regarded as an ''embarrassment'' to the Royal Family, and the opening of a glitzy store in Beverly Hills, California.

Mr Collins, on the other hand, runs a quaint ''antique and modern jewellery'' business in Tunbridge Wells High Street.

The 51-year-old became a favourite of the Queen more than two years ago, after a recommendation from a friend.

He has five dogs and his wife, Jadie, owns several American Quarter Horses and gives cowboystyle riding displays. From July 21, he will care for the Crown Jewels and the Queen''s personal jewellery collection. He will travel to a workshop at Buckingham Palace at least once a week to clean and mend the Queen''s many priceless crowns, tiaras, necklaces and brooches.

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Modern: Jade Jagger displays one of her creations for Garrard

Queen Victoria originally entrusted the position of Crown Jeweller to Garrard in 1843 and it has held the appointment ever since. The title currently belongs to Garrard employee David V Thomas, 65, a Welsh clockmaker''s

son who has carried the Queen''s personal warrant since 1991. She was not inclined to replace him until his retirement this month and Garrard will still retain three Royal Warrants.

Garrard was unavailable for comment.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: ''Mr Collins has been working with the Queen as a private jeweller for some time.

''There was no problem with Garrard, it was just decided it was time for a change.''''

 

[Sithathoriunet]

now, here''s a picture i had never seen before..it''s president regan and queen elizabeth! out for a ride...how unusual a photo!

 

[Sithathoriunet]

and here she is with president ford....love her bracelet

 

[Sithathoriunet]

Queen Elizabeth, left, and her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria

 

[Sithathoriunet]

here she has a wonderful diamond broach..

 

[Sithathoriunet]

or rather, it looks as if it may be sapphire there...but it''s lovely!

 

[Sithathoriunet]

and this rose broach is nice as well....

 

[shadowed_rain]

Date: 2/16/2009 7:18:53 PM
Author: Sithathoriunet
queen mary, victoria''s grand daughter

Actually, I believe you meant Queen Maud, the Queen of Norway I love this picture of her. She elegantly carried the Edwardian era to true form.

 

[Imdanny]

Can you imagine being the Queen''s private jeweler? She''d fire me. I''d get so distracted by the jewels, I couldn''t work.

 

[Sithathoriunet]

Date: 2/16/2009 10:35:21 PM
Author: shadowed_rain

Date: 2/16/2009 7:18:53 PM

Author: Sithathoriunet

queen mary, victoria''s grand daughter

Actually, I believe you meant Queen Maud, the Queen of Norway I love this picture of her. She elegantly carried the Edwardian era to true form.

ooops. yes, maud, however, her name was Maud Charlotte MARY Victoria..i just chose the ''MARY''...my bad. here''s more info on her..

Princess Maud Charlotte MARY Victoria was born 26 November 1869, fifth child of the Prince and Princess of Wales and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The youngest of two boys and three girls, Maud had a frugal but relaxed upbringing at her father''s estate at Sandringham in Norfolk. Her mother, Princess Alexandra was a great sportswoman and encouraged all her children to ride, skate and bicycle.

Queen Maud was born in London on 26 November 1869. Christened Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria, she was the daughter of the Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales (born Princess Alexandra of Denmark), later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom

 

[Sithathoriunet]

and here is one more of her all bejewelled..

 

[Sithathoriunet]

and here is queen mary

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Date: 2/17/2009 3:18:31 PM
Author: Sithathoriunet
and here is queen mary

Queen Mary is my favourate Consort (¹2 is The QMum) probably because of her vast collection of fine jewelery. I've alyaws sayed that no other queen could(and probably won't)wear jewels the way she did. Maybe Camilla will try to, she is also fond of big pieces and IMO The Duchess looks radiant and/or regal when she wears them(especially tiaras).

Here's one of my fav. official portraits/photographs of Queen Mary showing The Cullinans I&II (broach) and III&IV(necklace), Queen Victoria's regal circlet, 2 of the bow broaches (the rights one looks like Q Victoria's) and at least 2 rivieras and a diamond choker. Does anyone know when the photo was taken. I think that it's after her husband became King, so maybe The Queen is in her late 40s.

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Date: 2/16/2009 8:09:00 PM
Author: Sithathoriunet
or rather, it looks as if it may be sapphire there...but it''s lovely!

I find the diamond & sapphire feather broach lovely too. Here is a closer photo that I found in my files:

 

[prince.of.preslav]

1) The rose broach with diamond boarder was originally a gift to the late Queen Mother for 90 or 100th birthday. It was among the items inherited by QEII. I remember QEQM wiearing the jewel only once - at the opera for fer BD. If you want I can upload a close up of the broach.

2) The photo of President Regan and Elizabeth II riding was taken in Windsor Castle. HM is ridig her favourite horse Burmese.

3) Queen Victoria had indeed some prety jewels in her collection and we can only regret that 150 years ago there weren't colour and high resolution cameras to show what the queens(not only British) had.

4) And finaly a question: Did Queen Mary gave the then Duchess of York(the late Queen Mother) any jewellery as wedding present? Is the fringe tiara the only one from her mother-in-law?

 

[Sithathoriunet]

ok, everyone...i found this long and involved article on the very beginning and history of jewelry! and wow! it''s really very good, so i''m posting it below. pay no attention to the directions in brackets ie..(above right) etc...because they just refer to photos in the original article..i''ll post one of the photos way way below...read on, it''s very cool!

Jewelry Since the Dawn of Man

India jewelry, history of jewelry, fashion jewelry trends, political jewelry history, gemstones jewelry, jewelry making, custom jewelry, diamond jewelry, diamond information, buying diamonds, online diamond stores, online diamond jewelry, online diamond jewelers, buying a diamond, buying a manufactured diamond,The word Jewelry is derived from the Latin word jocale, meaning "plaything," and the word jewel, which was anglicised in the 13th century from the Old French word jouel. The word "jewelry" (spelled Jewellery in European English) is used to describe any piece of precious material (gemstones, noble metals, etc.) used to adorn one''s self.

Jewelry in its most basic form has been used since the dawn of of man''s use of tools and clothing. Until recently, researchers had believed that the ability to use symbolism did not develop until humans had migrated to Europe 35,000 to 40,000 years ago. Recently discovered mollusk or nassarius kraussianus shells that had been perforated to be made into beads are now thought to be some of the oldest known man-made Jewelry. This mollusk jewelry was discovered in a cave in Blombos, South Africa, and dates back to the Middle Stone Age 100,000 years ago. Other readily available natural materials used to make the first jewelry include animal teeth, bone, various types of shells, carved stone and wood. Most likely, jewelry started out as a functional item used to pin articles of clothing together and was later adapted to a purely aesthetic adornment.

Used as a symbol of wealth and/or status as well as to protect against harm, ward of evil, and heal ailments, jewelry was used to adorn nearly every part of the body and has been made out of almost every material known to mankind.

Prolific jewelry making began with the ancestors of Homo Sapiens, the Cro-Magnons over 40,000 years ago when they began to migrate from the Middle East to Europe. Cro-Magnons eventually replaced the Neanderthals as the dominant species. Jewelry from that period includes crudely fashioned necklaces and bracelets made of bone, teeth, mother-of-pearl, shells and stone strung together with a piece of twine or animal sinew. The earliest signs of metallurgy, using copper to make jewelry, was seen around 7,000 years ago.

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry

The first evidence of jewelry making along the Nile Delta in ancient Egypt dates from 3,500-5,000 years ago [2]. Gold was the metal of choice for the Ancient Egyptians and was used extensively throughout the several thousand year history of pharaonic Egypt. There were thirty one dynasties of rulers, from the reign of the kings Serket I and Narmer in 3000 BC. (the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt 1st to 2nd Dynasties), through the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (11th to 14th Dynasties), to the New Kingdom of Egypt (18th to 20th Dynasties), to Graeco-Roman Egypt (332 BC to 639 AD), to Ptolemaic Egypt (323 BC to 30 BC) and finally Roman Egypt (30 BC to 639 AD). Jewelry symbolized the glory, power and religious dominance in the community throughout these periods.

In ancient Egypt, gem carvings (glyptic art) in the form of scarab beetles and other sacred objects was worn for its religious significance. Both men and women wore jewelry as protection from evil and as a symbol of wealth and status as well as for adornment. Jewelry was worn by wealthy Egyptians in life, but it was also worn by them in death in order to assist in the journey to, and serve as comforts in, the afterlife. Unfortunately, tomb-robbers plundered much of Egypt''s ancient treasures, some of which was recycled by successive Kings for their own use in the afterlife.

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry - Tutankhamun

Although many treasures were lost to tomb-robbers and piracy, one insignificant king''s treasure remained intact and unmolested for thousands of years. That king was the now famous Pharaoh Tutankhamun, son of either Amenhotep III or Akhenaten. His short reign as Pharaoh began at age 9. Although he ruled for only 9 years (1336 BC to 1327 BC), he was able to amass a legacy of wealth and treasure that lives on today. Given the size and scope of his wealth it is hard to imagine the vast wealth accumulated by long reining kings like Seti I or Ramesses II.

Ancient Egyptian Jewelry - Tutankhamun

Egyptian Jewelry, history of jewelry, fashion jewelry trends, political jewelry history, gemstones jewelry, jewelry making, custom jewelry, diamond jewelry, diamond information, buying diamonds, online diamond stores, online diamond jewelry, online diamond jewelers, buying a diamond, buying a manufactured diamond,Although the Egyptians had access to precious gemstones, they preferred the colors they could create in glass over the natural colours of stones. For nearly each gemstone, there was a glass formulation used by the Egyptians to mimic its color. The coloration of the jewelry was very important to the Egyptians, and different colors had different meanings. Green colored jewelry symbolized fertility and the new growth of crops. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead it was stated that the necklace of the God Isis around a mummy''s neck must be red to satisfy Isis''s need for blood.

Most of the raw materials used for jewelry were found in or near Egypt, but silver and lapis lazuli were imported from other lands such as Afghanistan. Queen Cleopatra''s favourite gem, the emerald, was mined around the Red Sea. Scarab or beetle-shaped amulets were associated with rebirth because dung beetles are noted for rolling dung into spherical balls, which are used as brooding chambers from which newborn beetles emerge.

Mesopotamian Jewelry

Jewelry production was a significant craft in the cities of Sumer (Assyria), in southern Mesopotamia, and Akkad, in northern Mesopotamia. Ur (2600 BC to 2400 BC) was inhabited in the earliest stage of village settlement in southern Mesopotamia, known as the the Ubaid period. Located near the original mouth of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, Ur was an ancient city of Sumer in southern Mesopotamia.

In Assyria (the southern half of Mesopotamia aka Babylonia), men and women both wore extensive amounts of jewelry, including amulets, ankle bracelets, cylinder seals, and multi-strand necklaces. The jewelry of this period was manufactured from thin gold metal leaf set with brightly-colored stones such as agate, lapis, carnelian, and jasper, as shown in the examples below from Ur.

The art of elaborate gem carving known as glyptic art was popularized through the use of gemstones as signets or personal seal-stones. Glyptic carvings were used on ringstones commonly worn by women or children.

Mesopotamian Jewelry - Ur in Sumer

In Mesopotamian jewelry design, preferred shapes and motifs included leaves, cones, spirals, and bunches of grapes. Jewelry was created both for human use and for adorning statues and idols. Mesopotamian jewelers and craftsmen employed a wide variety of metalworking techniques, such as cloisonné, engraving, granulation, and filigree.

Jewelry of Ancient Greece

Many of the artistic skills that the ancient Greeks or Mycenae possessed were probably inherited from artisans of the Minoan civilization that preceded the Mycenae. The Minoans lived on the islands of Crete and Thera (Santorini), and in Anatolia from 2700 BC to 1600 BC (early Bronze Age), when their culture abruptly ended, possibly brought on by the devastating volcanic eruption of Thera''s Stroggilí volcano in the 1620s B.C., and the earthquakes or tsunamis that followed. Within the ruins of Minoan cities, archeologists have found bronze and copper ingots as evidence of advanced smelting techniques.

In the 2nd millennium B.C., Mycenae was one of the major centers of the Greek civilization. The wealth and power of Mycenae was well documented in Homer''s Iliad, where King Agamemnon led a Greek army against Troy. The solid gold funeral mask known as the "Mask of Agamemnon" was found at Mycenae by German treasure hunter Heinrich Schliemann, in 1876.

Early Mycenaean Age Greek jewelry consisted of beads shaped like shells and animals. The Greeks started using gold and gems in their jewelry around 1,400 BC (late Bronze Age). By 300 BC, they had mastered the use of colored gemstones such as amethyst, pearls and emeralds in their jewelry, carving and engraving intricate patterns into the gemstones. Ivory carvings, popularized by the Minoans, were also a popular motif of the period.

Mycenae Jewelry

The Greeks where the first to use cameos, creating them from a cream, brown, and striped pink form of agate stone called Indian Sardonyx. Early Greek jewelry employed simple designs and workmanship which made them distinct from the ornate styles of other cultures (above). As time progressed, their designs, techniques and range of materials grew in complexity (below). The laurel wreath was used as a crown of honor for heroes and scholars (below middle). The laurel leaf was sacred to Apollo, the god of intellect and light.

Greek Jewelry Designs

The ancient Greeks were fond of pendant earrings adorned with the images of doves, or the gods Eros and Nike. Amphora pendants were embellished with gemstones or enamel, hanging from a rosette usually topped by the crown of Isis. Necklaces were either a broad strap chain with dangling fruits or calyxes (above), or a round chain with an animal head or dolphin shaped clasp. Gold wreaths were worn as headdresses decorated with lavish foliage, flowers, acorns, Eros and Nikes. Their rings had bezels set with sealstones or other semi-precious stones.

Jewelry of the Hellenistìc period

The Hellenistic age (330-27 BC), initiated by the conquests of Alexander the Great and increased contacts with the Far-East and Egypt, brought about great changes in taste and styles in architecture, clothing, and jewelry. Many new types of jewelry were introduced, and the use of gold increased dramatically. The use of semi-precious and precious stones, such as amethyst, chalcedony, cornelian, garnet, and rock crystal were employed. Less costly jewelry used glass paste as a substitute for more expensive stones.

Etruscan Jewelry

The Etruscans lived in Etruria (western Tuscany, Italy) and were a non Italic people whose culture was based largely on the Greek culture. The Etruscans had a profound influence on the Romans from the 7th century BC to the 5th century BC. They were eventually overcome by the Romans in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

During the Early Etruscan Period (7th century BC to the 5th century BC), they developed their own unique methods of workmanship and characteristic styles, producing many pieces featuring intricate detail and a wide variety of styles, as shown in the examples below (from the Metropolitan Museum of Art). During this Period the Etruscans developed the art of granulation, which uses finely grained "shot" gold to create delicate patterns. This process has been recently rediscovered and is being used again by some jewelers today.

Etruscan Jewelry - Metropolitan Museum of Art

During the Late Etruscan Period (4th centuries BC to 3rd centuries BC), the workmanship took on a simpler quality. Many pieces were made with filigree openwork patterns without any backing, and often used colored beads from Phoenicia, inlay and enameling. Etruscan finger rings were often made with a scarab or a long engraved oval bezel set with a single gemstone.

Ancient Roman Jewelry

The ancient Romans used a diverse range of materials for their jewelry due to their access to a wide variety of natural resources across the European and Mediterranean continents. The most common jewelry item of early Rome was the brooch, which was used to secure clothing together. A popular style of jewelry invented by the Romans was gold hemispheres fashioned into necklaces, bracelets, and earrings (above left). The drawing of Roman jewelry to the right (above) is from Albert Racinet''s book "Le Costume Historique 1878."

Although the Romans often used gold in their jewelry, they also used bronze set with bone and glass beads. Pearls were particularly prized. The engraving of Roman jewelry to the left (below) is from "Gems of Nature and Art," by B. Fawcett, published in London by Groombridge and Sons (1880).

The gold necklace below was found in Pompeii and is set with emeralds and pearls. The example to the far right is a natural pearl, emerald plasma (chalcedony), and gold necklace from the old Roman Empire (500 BC to 100 AD), which is in the British Museum in London.

1st Century Ancient Roman Jewelry

Most early Roman jewelry resembled Greek and Etruscan jewelery. New motifs were developed or derived from other cultures and remained well-established throughout Roman times. An example which was influenced by the Egyptians is the Herakles knot, with its Apotropaic (amulet and talisman) character to ward off evil. Another borrowing from Egypt was the Isis crown, which adorned earrings during the second century B.C. Another important development was the hoop earring, appearing around 330 BC, with a finial in the form of animal heads, maenads, negroes or a full figure of Eros. Cameo portraits were also worn as rings and pendants (below).

Gold bracelets were often fashioned in the form of coiling snakes (below left). While Roman women wore a wide variety of jewelry, the men often wore only a finger ring (although they were expected to wear at least one ring). Rings were made with carved stone or gold, and were used wax to seal important documents with wax (below). The gold coin ring below features a portrait of emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 AD to 180 AD).

2nd Century Ancient Roman Jewelry

Upper-class Roman women wore a considerable amount of jewelry. One design that persisted throughout Roman history was the fibula, a pin that resembled a safety pin and was used as a clothing fastener. The fibula was often very ornately decorated as Roman clothing was frequently pinned rather than sewn. The fibula was often embellished with a cameo of a female bust or a winged Victory intaglio carving.

Encaustic Paintings of Ancient Roman Jewelry

The encaustic (hot wax painting) paintings shown above are known as ''Fayum Mummy Portraits''. They are on the casket or "sarcophagus" of the deceased. They depict well-to-do Roman women adorned with their finest traditional clothing and jewelry. The deceased is depicted at a relatively young age regardless of the age at death.

Great Britain in the 18th & 19th Century

The more commonly known ''Victorian era'' was bookended by two other significant periods in British history, the Georgian and Edwardian eras. All three were named after the British monarchs who oversaw the period. As far as fashion, social attitudes, and aesthetic taste is concerned, there is little disagreement that the royal families had an indelible influence on the period''s fashion and design motifs, as well as national the mood.

Georgian Era Jewellery (1714 to 1830)

Starting at roughly the same time as the Industrial Revolution, the Georgian period was defined by the rule of the English kings George I through George IV, as well as the American and French revolutions. This period was distinguished by its air of opulence, self indulgence and quirkiness, with George III (aka the porphyria stricken "Mad King George") setting the tone. Starting with the the ornate Rococo style of the early Georgian period, motifs transitioned from Gothic Revival during the mid-Georgian era, to Neoclassical during the transitional ''Regent period'' of George IV.



Popular jewelry styles of the period were both elaborate and intricate, forming ornate arrangements such as ''chandelier'' style earrings, rivière necklaces'' with their ''flowing river'' of diamonds, and multi-strand festoons or three-strand en esclavage necklaces'' forming swagged concentric rings. In keeping with the ''excesses'' of the times, diamonds were a favorite gemstone of the early Georgian Era. Gemstones were used in ornate repoussé settings, forming a raised metal pattern by working from the back side of the piece.

Georgian Era Jewellery
Georgian Cannetille Bracelets (left)

Other complex Georgian accessories were the cannetille, chatelaine, and stomacher. The stomacher was an elaborately decorated triangular pane, filling in the front opening of a woman''s bodice. Cannetille work was another popular Georgian style of metalsmithing, being made up of a lacy, open filigree consisting of tightly wound twisted gold wires, forming a coiled spiral that resembles spun gold. A chatelaine is a decorative clasp worn at the waist, with a series of suspended chains.

Victorian Era Jewellery (1837 to 1901)

The "Victorian era" as it has come to be known, started on June 20th 1837 with the crowning of Queen Victoria as the United Kingdom''s longest ruling monarch. The Reform Act of 1832, and changing social mores are also credited with the ending of both the Georgian era, and transitional Regency era (1800-1830), bringing about a new, ''romantic'' period.

Victorian Jewellery

Victorian era fashion and design blended an eclectic array of stylistic motifs such as Elizabethan, Classical and Gothic revival, Greco-Roman, Neoclassical, Orientalism, Rococo and Romanticism, all tailored to fit the new vision of an "ideal woman" as pure, unadulterated, and subservient.

Romantic Period

The ''Early Victorian'' years from 1837 to around 1860 were referred to as the "Romantic Period," marked by the Queen''s marriage to Prince Albert in 1840. Romanticism was a social shift away from the aristocratic, social, and political norms of the Enlightenment period, stressing the importance of dreams, emotions and sentimentality as inspirational source material for artistic expression. The Romantic era also brought about a new fascination with nature, adding Eden-like symbols such as the serpent, grapes, flowers, and birds to the ''romantic'' motif.

After Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had purchased Balmoral Castle in the Caledonian woodlands of Scotland in 1848, Celtic motifs began to permeate English culture. By the end of the Romantic Period, brooches and pendants containing polished agate gemstones called "Scottish pebble jewelry" had become very popular.

Victorian Jewellery
Hair Jewelry (left), Georgian Crescent Moon Turquoise & Pearl Brooch (center)

So called "hair jewelry" or "memorial mourning brooches" became a staple of the period, with Queen Victoria giving gifts of jewelry made from her hair (above, left). Mourning brooches were made by weaving small locks of a loved one''s hair into detailed "hair art." The locks were mounted on an agate or mother-of-pearl backing, then covered with domed glass. Human hair was also woven into elaborate designs and patterns used on pins, brooches, and bracelets.

Mid-Victorian Period

After a twenty year run, the Romantic era ended suddenly with the death of Queen Victoria''s husband, Prince Albert in 1860. A new period of mourning known as the Mid-Victorian or "Grand" Period, lasted from 1860 to 1885. Darker stones such as jet and black onyx began to appear in jewelry, symbolic of the national mood.

Another offshoot of the Queen''s fascination with the Scottish countryside was the popularity of the Celtic Revival Cross, worn as a pendant or pin. Due to a scarcity of raw materials during this period, open-work techniques such as cannetille, filigree, and repoussé were employed so as to exaggerate the quantity of precious metals, and size of the jewelry piece.

Typical jewelry items of the period were mosaic jewelry, the cameo brooch and the stick pin, with cameos of carved conch shell, hardstone agate, carnelian, and sardonyx, or Wedgwood ceramic, depicting mythological Greco-Roman imagery. Glass or paste gemstone simulations were also used extensively during the Victorian Period, and jewelers would add a foil backing to reflect more light through the ''stone.''

Brooches were also decorated with miniature Limoges painted enamel portraits (above, center), surrounded by Etruscan style granulation, filigree and fleur d''lis. Small enamel portraits were painted by artisans called "limners," who would travel the countryside creating these wearable likenesses.

The Mid-Victorian Period saw the rise of a new urban middle class [5]. A fashionable pastime for the well-heeled Englishman was to embark on "The Grand Tour" of Europe, visiting classical Baroque, Greco-Roman and Italian Renaissance monuments while collecting mementos from each location. Collectors brought back Pietra Dura (stone inlay) mosaics and mico-mosaics (tessarae) which local artisans would craft to emulate the architectural motifs of famous Etruscan and Greco-Roman sites.

After Queen Victoria was crowned as the Empress of India in 1876, ''Orientalism'' brought about a newfound fascination with the Far East, as Eastern and Indian motifs worked their way into European art and jewelry design.

Late Victorian Period

The "late Victorian" period (aka Aesthetic Period) extended from 1885 to Queen Victoria''s death in 1900. As the prolonged malaise of the Grand Period waned, a new spirit of lightness swept over England like a cool breeze. Fun was back in vogue, and a sense of whimsy was brought on by the influence of the Queen''s daughter-in-law, Princess Alexandra.

Global expansionism of the British Empire was the hallmark of this period. With the discovery of the "Dark Continent''s" Kimberley diamond fields in North Cape, South Africa, Queen Victoria would usher in a new era that was resplendent with diamonds. This period reached its zenith with the Queen''s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, three years before her passing.

Edwardian Period Jewellery (1900 to 1910)

King Edward VII''s ascension marked the passing of the 1800s, Queen Victoria''s reign, and an end to the conservative tastes of the Victorian era. The Edwardian era ushered in a new fondness for femininity and sensuality that was shunned during the previous century. The Edwardian era design ascetic coincided with, and was influenced by the Art Nouveau movement that was moving across Europe.

Jewelry styles from the period were created with intricate filigree, punctuated with copious use of colored gemstones diamonds, and pearls. White metals became popular during this period, as jewelers made use of platinum, palladium, rhodium and white gold in their settings. It was during the Edwardian period that men''s jewelry came into fashion.

Art Nouveau Period Jewellery (1890 to 1915)

Art Nouveau ("new art") was the first move towards a new modernism in art and design, during the Belle Époque ("beautiful era") period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement was primarily influenced by the radical work of Moravian (Czech) artist Alfons Mucha and English illustrator Aubrey Beardsley ("The Peacock Skirt" - below, left), and the ground-breaking architecture and design work of Hector Guimard of Paris (Paris Métro - below, right) and Antoni Gaudí of Barcelona.

Art Nouveau Period Jewellery

The Art Nouveau movement focused heavily on the themes of nature, fantasy, and the female form, with sensual flowing shapes that simulate organic growth that is reminiscent of the primeval Garden of Eden. Exotic floral motifs with animals, birds, butterfles, dragonflies, peacock feathers and marsh plants were incorporated with graceful feminine imagery or fairies, mermaids and nymphs, complete with their long, twisting mains.

Enameling or plique à jour ("open to light") were popular jewelry techniques during the Art Nouveau period, and the "craft" of jewelry design and metal-working was reborn in the elaborate and imaginative creations of the time. Jewellery designers such as Georges Fouquet and Lucien Gautrait, as well as glass designers Louis Comfort Tiffany and René Lalique combined Japanese motifs with popular natural elements to create elaborate Art Nouveau jewelry designs.

Viennese jeweller Frey Wille has created a series of enamel jewelry commemorating Mucha''s theatre placard artwork of Sarah Bernhardt in their "Hommage à Alphonse Mucha" line.

Art Nouveau Period (1880 to 1915)

The "Art Nouveau" ("new art") movement was one of the first departures from classical art and design, towards a new modernism. The ''Modernism'' and Art Nouveau movements occurred during what was known in France as the "Belle Époque," or "beautiful era" period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement was primarily influenced by the radical work of Czech (Moravian) artist Alfons Mucha, Swiss decorative artist Eugène Grasset, and English illustrator Aubrey Beardsley ("The Peacock Skirt" - below, left), and the ground-breaking architecture and design work of Hector Guimard of Paris (Paris Métro - below, right) and Antoni Gaudí of Barcelona.

The Art Nouveau movement focused heavily on the themes of nature, fantasy, and the female form, with sensual flowing shapes that simulate organic growth that is reminiscent of the primeval Garden of Eden.

Art Nouveau Period Jewellery

Exotic floral motifs with animals, birds, butterfles, dragonflies, peacock feathers and marsh plants were incorporated with graceful feminine imagery or fairies, mermaids and nymphs, complete with their long manes of twisting hair.

Some of the floral motifs that were used in the Art Nouveau style were borrowed from English artist William Morris'' ''Arts and Crafts Movement'' of the late Victorian era.

Jewellery from the Art Nouveau Period

Enameling or plique à jour ("open to light") were popular jewelry techniques during the Art Nouveau period, and the "craft" of jewelry design and metal-working was reborn in the elaborate and imaginative creations of the time. Jewellery designers such as Georges Fouquet and Lucien Gautrait, as well as glass designers Louis Comfort Tiffany and René Lalique combined Japanese motifs with popular natural elements to create elaborate Art Nouveau jewelry designs.

Viennese jeweller Frey Wille has created a series of enamel jewelry commemorating Mucha''s theatre placard artwork of Sarah Bernhardt in their "Hommage à Alphonse Mucha" line.

Art Deco (1920 to 1939)

The "Art Deco" movement was founded by members of the French artists collective known as the La Société des artistes décorateurs, following the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels, held in 1925. Some of the founders such as Eugène Grasset and Hector Guimard were also instrumental in establishing the Art Nouveau some twenty years earlier. The Art Deco ''style'' also borrowed from the other Modernism movements of the time, such as Bauhaus, Cubism, Empire Neoclassicism, Futurism, and Modernism.

The movement was originally referred to as "Style Moderne," and it wasn''t until the 1960s when English art historian Bevis Hillier first coined the name "Art Deco." The name "Art Deco" refers to the movement''s effect on the "decorative arts," meaning the more ''commercial'' artistic disciplines of architecture, graphic arts, and industrial design, but the name was also used in reference to the "fine arts." As a stylistic motif, Art Deco managed to permeate every aspect daily life, from fashion, to consumer products and film. Of coarse, jewelry was no exception, and the Art Deco movement had a profound effect on jewellery design.

Art Deco Jewellery and Architecture
Chrysler Building (left), Art Deco Emerald Ring Circa 1910-1915 (center), Djenné Mosque in Mail (right)

The Art Deco style is probable one of the easiest artistic styles to recognize, with its modern ultra clean lines, trapezoidal shapes, stepped edges, and arced corners. What might be surprising to some is how the movement was influenced by indigenous primitive motifs from the ancient Aztec and Egyptians, or from tribal African motifs (see Mali photo above, right).

Jewellery from the Art Deco Period

Jewellery from the Art Deco period took on an ''architectural'' appearance, with gemstones being cut in bold geometric shapes such as the emerald cut, pentagon, trapezoid, or triangle. Another characteristic of the Art Deco movement was to combine bold, contrasting tones like black and white. Diamonds and light colored gemstones were mixed with dark materials of black onyx or Bakelite, for a striking appearance. Diamonds were also Pavé set into bold patterns to form a contrasting white field.

Art Deco Jewellery

Because the Art Deco movement was an ''industrial'' movement, industrial looking white metals were commonly used in jewelry fabrication. Popular metals of the period were silver, platinum, and white gold. American jewelry designers like Harry Winston and Tiffany & Co. became known for their iconic Art Deco style. In Europe, designers like Cartier, the House of Mauboussin (photo of wristwatch above), and Van Cleef & Arpels were at the forefront of the Art Deco jewellery movement.

Streamline Moderne

One of the offshoots to the Art Deco movement was the ''Streamline Moderne'' movement in the late 1930s, with its more rounded nautical feel. Famous examples of the Streamline Moderne movement are the Pan Pacific Auditorium and Coca Cola Building (above, right), both in Los Angeles, California.

 

[shadowed_rain]

Date: 2/17/2009 5:03:09 PM
Author: prince.of.preslav

Date: 2/17/2009 3:18:31 PM

Author: Sithathoriunet

and here is queen mary

Queen Mary is my favourate Consort (¹2 is The QMum) probably because of her vast collection of fine jewelery. I''ve alyaws sayed that no other queen could(and probably won''t)wear jewels the way she did. Maybe Camilla will try to, she is also fond of big pieces and IMO The Duchess looks radiant and/or regal when she wears them(especially tiaras).


Here''s one of my fav. official portraits/photographs of Queen Mary showing The Cullinans I&II (broach) and III&IV(necklace), Queen Victoria''s regal circlet, 2 of the bow broaches (the rights one looks like Q Victoria''s) and at least 2 rivieras and a diamond choker. Does anyone know when the photo was taken. I think that it''s after her husband became King, so maybe The Queen is in her late 40s.

According to Field: "...on 6 February 1911. Dressed in full mourning for King Edward VII, King George V had opened parliament for the first time, and he and the Queen posed for the first official photographs of their reign. The Queen is wearing Queen Victoria''s Koh-I-Noor diadem, earrings, and her two large bow brooches in addition to the Crown collet necklace, from which she has removed the drop and substituted the Lesser Stars of Africa as a pendant. Pinned to her Garter sash are the Crown Jewels, Cullinans I & II, worn as a brooch, and she is wearing seven rows of diamonds as a collar."

Phew. Field''s right, that''s quite the sparkling collar that she''s sporting.

But the full black for mourning does make sense, as her husband would be about to ascend the throne.

 

[Imdanny]

Crown Jewels of France:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pAHzzoB72Ww/SUhlqDvslOI/AAAAAAAAAwo/vxoKfJliFe8/s400/napoleoncrownforempressmarielouise.png&imgrefurl=http://parisatelier.blogspot.com/2008/12/jewels-of-france.html&usg=__eJX-uD31WljS3oHNQZAyts-A0Ok=&h=289&w=400&sz=250&hl=en&start=378&um=1&tbnid=sphag30y5adxjM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3DVan%2BCleef%2B%2526%2BArpels%26start%3D360%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US

fficial%26sa%3DN

Crown Jewels of Iran (1/5)

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://jewelry-blog.internetstones.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/empress-crown1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://jewelry-blog.internetstones.com/famous-jewelry/the-three-crowns-of-the-iranian-crown-jewels&usg=__fLZsdn8HXeRFZL7_eARVO8G7-mQ=&h=310&w=400&sz=83&hl=en&start=522&um=1&tbnid=v_Jp8Yshqgf2JM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3DVan%2BCleef%2B%2526%2BArpels%26start%3D520%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US

fficial%26sa%3DN

Please cut and paste. Thank you for your kind understanding.

 

[Imdanny]

Date: 2/17/2009 5:03:09 PM
Author: prince.of.preslav

Date: 2/17/2009 3:18:31 PM

Author: Sithathoriunet

and here is queen mary

Queen Mary is my favourate Consort (¹2 is The QMum) probably because of her vast collection of fine jewelery. I've alyaws sayed that no other queen could(and probably won't)wear jewels the way she did.

Well, I don't think Camilla should even try. They're not going to let her wear I, II, III, and IV! That's beyond all reason. That will never happen again IMHO.

I and II, in particular, I think are going to stay where they are now. Stunning picture!

I have to say, though, even for me, I think that is too much! Wow.

 

[Sithathoriunet]

Date: 2/18/2009 6:46:38 AM
Author: Imdanny

Date: 2/17/2009 5:03:09 PM

Author: prince.of.preslav

Date: 2/17/2009 3:18:31 PM


Author: Sithathoriunet


and here is queen mary

Queen Mary is my favourate Consort (¹2 is The QMum) probably because of her vast collection of fine jewelery. I''ve alyaws sayed that no other queen could(and probably won''t)wear jewels the way she did.

Well, I don''t think Camilla should even try. They''re not going to let her wear I, II, III, and IV! That''s beyond all reason. That will never happen again IMHO.


I and II, in particular, I think are going to stay where they are now. Stunning picture!


I have to say, though, even for me, I think that is too much! Wow.

oh yes, i have to agree. not to be forceful against camilla or anything, but, i must admit for me, she will always be distasteful. not because of her age, not because of her relationship with charles, but it''s very simple really, it''s because of the way in which she and charles played diana. diana was young, innocent, and victimized thoroughly by them both. so, i must say of all royals the world over, those two have got to stand lowest on my list. and i think they always will. i could never do to anyone what they did to diana, and i cannot ever feel kindly towards anyone who would.
so, if it were me, they would be treated as the former king of england was. (although in his case it was quite unjust)...and then we would all move on. kingship should be with william.
sorry for my strong words, i have never really spoken out about it before, but since you all seem to be having some words about it.... so, ick to camillia, and yes, to charles..if my hubby did to me what charles did to diana, i''d slap him silly and wish he would disappear for good. it''s not right, and never ever will be, not with time, not with royal exceptions and marriage, not with public appearences with big royal jewels...if they had wanted to be together, fine. they should have, long long before they ever involved an innocent diana in it all.

 

[Sithathoriunet]

oh my! i found another heart crown ring! this one is circa 1830...this is the best picture i can get as the others i found are in flash...opal and amethyst..very unusual stone combo

 

[Sithathoriunet]

Jewelry:Antique:Fine:Georgianouble Heart Ring, Coral And Turquoise, Georgian
This ring is a lovely little Georgian, double heart and crown ring. The stones are coral, turquoise, and little rose diamonds. The ring is a size 5 and 3/4 to 6, and could be sized by a jeweler used to working with antiques. The stones are closed backed, and the ring is circa 1800

 

[Sithathoriunet]

Jewelry:Antique:Fine:Georgian:Garnet "Crown Heart Ring" Georgian
I was really excited when I saw this lovely almandine garnet ring, because I knew it was very early. It is circa 1770

 

[Sithathoriunet]

This is a wonderful example of the double heart and crown ring, and this one has the added attraction of the hands holding the heart. This ring is circa 1770..so, i guess that''s that..i think these rings do predate the claddagh! perhaps the claddagh came from this example or one like it...