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Art Deco is a style of design, visual art and architecture that became prominent in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, and influenced the design of buildings, furniture, jewellery, fashion, cars, movie theatres, trains, ocean liners, and even everyday objects like radios and vacuum cleaners.
What are Art Deco jewellery design features?
The Art Deco jewellery style mimics many different design styles, the most prominent being Cubism, Fauvism and the Ballet Russes.
The characteristics of each of these art movements can clearly be seen in the Art Deco style when we look more closely. From cubism, Art Deco has borrowed its lean towards unnatural forms and geometric shapes and from fauvism its vivid colours and painterly qualities.
The dramatic features of Art Deco were welcomed after the flowery features of Art Nouveau, as western countries were transitioning to a sleeker, more cosmopolitan look.
Here are some of the features of Art Deco rings we think make them stand out from the crowd.
Calibre cut stones
Calibre cut jewellery uses a technique that uses smaller, custom cut stones in a larger jewellery design. The stones are cut so their edges line up perfectly and there’s virtually no gap between the stones, as can be seen in this gorgeous old cut diamond and sapphire ring.
Filigree
Filigree is a delicate kind of jewellery metalwork that incorporates a lot of coloured stones, diamonds, platinum and white gold. Authentic filigree from the Art Deco period was made with die-cast machines giving them a stark, clean, stamped look. However, some Art deco period rings were made using wax moulds, giving them a softer look, as can be seen in this distinctive diamond and sapphire filigree ring.
Platinum and white gold
Yellow gold was very much out of style at the time and people wanted jewellery with cooler undertones. White gold made its entrance during the Art Deco period when it was invented to combat the rising price of platinum. This deep blue sapphire French old cut ring shows how white gold can offset the bold colour of gemstones beautifully.
Strong geometric patterns
The entire Art Deco movement revolved around strong geometric shapes giving it a more industrial feel. As far as rings go that invoke an industrial look and feel, we can’t find a better example than this old cut diamond and onyx ring with its stark black onyx background highlighting the splendour of the old cut diamond.
Old European cut diamonds
Old European cut diamonds are a tell-tale sign of genuine antique jewellery. Antique jewellery collectors refer to diamonds of this cut as having an ‘inner fire’ because of how they interact with light. Here’s an example of just how spectacular the shine of an old European cut diamond can get.
Bold colours
Art Deco design includes bold colours and strong contrasts with coloured gemstones often arranged in a way that made them pop. Because of their focus on colour and distinctiveness, Art Deco ring designs were especially welcoming towards the opal stone, with its internal shapes and vivid and flowing colours making it the perfect gemstone for the movement. Here’s a stunning Art Deco opal ring that was made in the 1930s but looks just as magical today.
