This hauntingly elegant natural pearl, diamond and onyx necklace in a study in imperial Russian elegance. Photo courtesy of Romanov Russia Antiques.
The design of this distinctive Art Deco necklace is centered upon an elongated black onyx drop hanging from a platinum milgrain plaque embellished with diamonds accented by two tapered emeralds. The principal diamond is approximately 0.40 ct.
Estimated total diamond weight is 0.90 ct.
Pearls diameter: 3.9 – 3.6 mm
Length of the onyx drop is 30 mm
Clean lines, geometric shapes and unconventional colour palettes, Art Deco jewellery as a style has remained fresh and appealing even a hundred years after it first appeared on the jewellery stage.
The aesthetic of this design movement was sleek and glamourous, typified by style icons like Coco Chanel wearing her classic tweed two-piece suits with ropes upon ropes of pearls. Interestingly, it was during this era that jewellery started becoming more than an outward symbol of wealth and instead became a statement of style.
Image courtesy Noonans Mayfair
This bracelet was worn by Princess Margaret for her official 19th birthday portrait. An interesting detail about this piece was the M (for Mikimoto) that was stamped on its platinum clasp. (Image courtesy Noonans Mayfair).
Set with cultured Akoya pearls and diamonds, the bracelet came into the secondary market last year and sold for over ten times its initial sale estimate.
The style witnessed its heyday during the 1920s and 1930s. While the earlier Art Deco jewellery pieces were feminine, with an inherent softness to the designs, the later ones were defined by their straight lines and bold modernism.
Image courtesy Sotheby's
Listed on Sotheby's Auctions with provenance as "From a Gentleman", this modern black and white pair of natural pearl and diamond earrings is a lustrous example of Art Deco design from the 1920's.
With women now wearing their hair short, drop earrings became all the rage. Elongated diamond and platinum settings were often enhanced with drop-shaped pearls as the perfect finishing touch. To a large extent, the luminous iridescence of white pearls, the sheen of platinum and the sparkle of diamonds came to define the very spirit of Art Deco jewels.
Image courtesy Christies
The style found its inspiration from different sources including ancient Egypt as well as the cultural arts of Persia, India, Africa, China and Japan and jazz music. All in all, though, Art Deco jewellery tended to be symmetrical, with its audacious play of colours and textures adding an interesting highlight.
The Pearl, Diamond and Emerald Sautoir pictured above was created by Cartier in 1925. The carved Emeralds are reminiscent of Egyptian and Indian floral motifs, as is the centerpiece featuring a large tear-drop Diamond in the center, which recalls a stylized lily.
Image courtesy Pierre Berge & Associates
Cartier was and is one of the most easily recognizable master jewelers that produced jewelry in the Art Deco style. Replacing the frills, bows and garlands it had popularized during the Belle Epoque period with sharp, geometric angels, exquisite small diamond work and meticulously sourced gemstones and pearls, Cartier's Art Deco designs are some of the most popular of this time period.
Initially, only natural pearls were set into Art Deco jewels. Many high jewellery houses such as Cartier, Chaumet, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels sourced the finest natural pearls for their luxury pieces. In fact, Cartier set exquisite natural pearls in many of their famous “Cartier Style” jewellery pieces. The Triple Strand Pearl and Diamond Necklace above features Mikimoto cultured Japanese Akoya pearls.
Image courtesy Mikimoto America
With the introduction of Mikimoto’s pearls during the 1920s, cultured Akoya pearls also started being used in Art Deco jewellery. Cultured pearls, unlike their natural counterparts, were cheaper and more readily available. In addition, Mikimoto insisted on selling only high quality cultured Akoya pearls.
Image courtesy Mikimoto America
Round, luminous and white, Mikimoto’s cultured pearls were consistently and identically dazzling. This helped increase their popularity among jewellery makers and buyers alike. As a result, from the late 1920s and through the 1930s, many Art Deco jewellery pieces featured cultured instead of natural pearls.
By the end of the 1930s, the Art Deco jewellery style started giving way to a newer look, the Retro style. Even though the Art Deco style lasted a little over two decades in the first half of the 20th century, its influence can still be felt today. Synonymous with the Roaring Twenties and the decadence of the Flapper Era, Art Deco jewellery continues to fascinate collectors and buyers alike, all over the world.
Read the entire post from the Culture of Pearls here:
These exquisite pearl earrings feature two AAA quality, 10mm White South Sea pearls with 'Very High' luster (please see our pearl grading page for more information). All our White South Sea pearls are imported directly from the shores of Australia.
The mountings are comprised of of the finest quality 14K gold. All pearl earrings are approved by our staff of GIA pearl experts and come packaged in a beautiful jewelry box. Please view the options below to customize your product to your specifications.
