Jewellery is the personal adornment made from precious and decorative materials, including gold, silver, platinum, gemstones, pearls, enamel, coral, jet, shell and paste. Antique jewellery encompasses rings, brooches, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, lockets, tiaras, cufflinks and watch chains, and it reflects changing fashions, technologies and social customs over many centuries.
Each period has distinctive characteristics. Georgian jewellery often features closed-back settings and foiled stones, while Victorian jewellery ranges from romantic sentimental pieces and hair work to mourning jewellery in jet, archaeological revival gold, and bold diamond pieces. The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought Arts and Crafts enamelling, Art Nouveau naturalism, delicate Edwardian platinum and diamond work, and the geometric glamour of Art Deco. When collecting, consider the materials, workmanship, condition, hallmarks and any maker's marks, as well as the originality of stones and fittings. Antique jewellery should be checked by a qualified gemmologist or specialist, particularly when stones are significant to value.
