Art Deco Jewelry

Art Deco is a style that emerged in 1925, a result of exhibits at the World's Fair held in Paris, France. The term Art Deco is a shortened form of the event's name: Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts). Art Deco remained popular until about the mid 1930s, and gained a new following in the 1980s forward.

Art Deco influenced all designs of the period, from automobiles to homes to skyscrapers to clothing. And jewelry, of course. Geometrics play a big part in the Art Deco look -- circles, triangles, squares and rectangles, often woven together to create intricate designs.

Art Deco Jewelry was designed with the same characteristic geometrics seen in other elements of the period. Diamonds, along with colorful emeralds, rubies and sapphires, were common in fine jewelry; costume jewelry mimicked the same looks, but with faux "stones." Some jewelry of the time depicted animals, vegetation and other live subjects, either realistically or in a very stylized way. Bows and other similar ornaments were reproduced as jewelry. Bakelike was a popular component for many types of costume jewelry.

Contemporary jewelry designers often recreate the Art Deco look.