| Perhaps no style of jewelry has generated as much | | | | influences made certain jewelry styles very desirable. |
| interest in recent years as art deco, something that | | | | In addition, jewelry designers and craftsmen used |
| takes people back to the 1920s and 1930s. The jazz | | | | floral designs, futuristic styles and machine/metal |
| age, with its flappers and bathtub gin, had a feel and | | | | influences to create new pieces. Art deco jewelry is |
| look unlike any other in United States history. The | | | | often associated with strong geometric shapes as |
| designer of art deco jewelry used a range of | | | | well. Designs ranging from very beautiful to silly and |
| materials that are generally not thought to be | | | | fanciful found equally large markets at one time or |
| appropriate for accessories in the jewelry field. | | | | another. |
| But the excitement and wide-open nature of the | | | | Jewelry was only a part of a much larger art deco |
| time made it possible for productive designers and | | | | movement, with Paris as the center of activity. In |
| jewelry makers to put together an assortment of | | | | fact, the style gets its name from the Exposition des |
| materials not generally used for their pieces. Jewelry | | | | Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Moderns, held in Paris in |
| masters could employ chrome, plastic and steel, in | | | | 1925. It was here that designers and craftsmen |
| addition to an assortment of precious, semi-precious | | | | displayed the new trend to a larger audience. From |
| and metals, including platinum. All of these were used | | | | this seminal event, designers moved on to become |
| in various combinations to create some unique items | | | | even more creative in the art deco style. Those |
| that would be difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate. | | | | looking deeper into the broad history of the art deco |
| Some of the most recognizable names in jewelry | | | | movement will find furniture and buildings in this |
| came from this exciting era, including Rene Lalique, | | | | particular "genre" as well. The art deco feel and |
| Elsa Shiaparella, Paul Emile Brandt, Coco Chanel and | | | | appearance certainly had its influence on designers |
| Raymond Templier. Many designers saw their | | | | who understand the trend. |
| businesses grow because of a blazing interest in and | | | | What is most exciting today about the art deco |
| appreciation for costume jewelry. While this type of | | | | movement, to many collectors and jewelry |
| jewelry does not use valuable metals and precious | | | | enthusiasts, is the freedom to experiment that the |
| gems, finished pieces by top designers command high | | | | period offered to designers and craftsmen. Of |
| prices (due to rarity of the piece, one-of-a-kind | | | | course, this thrill of new and challenging methods has |
| items, and desirability for jewelry from a certain | | | | remained alive for some over the past 80 years. A |
| top-name designer). | | | | variety of materials and construction processes |
| In addition to the interesting colors and shapes of art | | | | allowed artists and craftsmen to create jewelry that |
| deco jewelry already mentioned, the influence of | | | | still influences the jewelry and accessory fields today. |
| Asian, Egyptian and other African cultures contributed | | | | Simply put, the art deco influence on jewelry makes |
| to jewelry design. With countries far from Europe | | | | modern-day classics of many pieces from this era. |
| and the United States considered exotic, the cultural | | | | |