Why Has Art Deco Jewellery Become Fashionable Again for the Modern Woman?

The Art Deco exhibition held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2003 confirmed and boosted the popularity of all things associated with the period 1910-1939.

Frivolity to Austerity and Back Again

As jewellery dealers, buying in the auction houses during the 1960s and 1970s in the British Isles and Europe, we noticed that Art Deco jewellery had become more collectible and popular. The post war years (1940s-1950s) were associated with austerity and the rebuilding of the social fabric of society and had little to do with the frivolity of the 1920s and 1930s. The freedom and expression linked with the “hippy culture” and the emerging ideas in the arts, music and architecture made people look back with nostalgia and rediscover the wonderful jewellery of the Art Deco period.

Striking Features Define the Look

Baguette diamonds were a common feature of Art Deco engagement rings in the 1930s. The contrast between the geometric look of the baguettes and the round brilliant diamonds often made a striking piece of jewellery.

This unusual Art Deco ring is based on an original 1930s model. Rings were made with all manner of materials using semi-precious and precious gem stones. This Avant Garde and unconventional style of creating rings appealed to the newly liberated post war generations of the 1960s and of today. A 3.29 carat chrome green tourmaline is accented by long baguette diamonds to make a spectacular Art Deco style ring. A triangular diamond either side of the baguettes emphasises the geometric symmetry of the ring. This is a classic Art Deco cluster engagement ring design with a central aquamarine surrounded by diamonds. The square diamonds, set in the corners of the cluster ring, make an interesting feature. Art Deco and Today’s Modern Woman The freedom to express one’s individuality with more than a single solitaire diamond ring has found favour with today’s modern woman. She often prefers to stand out from the crowd wearing something different on her hand. “I want something unusual on my hand, not just a rock on a stick” is often something we hear from our customers at the London Victorian Ring Co.