Art Deco jewellery is jewellery made in the Art Deco style between about 1920 and 1940, recognised by geometric designs, strong contrasts of colour and the extensive use of platinum and white diamonds. Typical pieces include long sautoir necklaces, bracelets, clip brooches, cocktail rings, earrings and decorative wristwatches.
The great Paris houses, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Boucheron, led the way, combining diamonds with onyx, coral, jade, emeralds, sapphires and rubies in crisp, architectural compositions. Influences included Egyptian art after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, Indian jewellery and Chinese design. New gem cuts such as the baguette and calibré-cut stones allowed precise lines of colour. More affordable jewellery used marcasite, paste, chrome and early plastics. Collectors look for quality of setting and finish, original stones, maker's signatures and serial numbers, and freedom from later alteration. Many pieces from the period have been remodelled, and there are numerous modern reproductions in the Deco manner, so careful examination by a specialist is advisable before buying significant pieces.
