Brief History of Edwardian Jewelry

The heyday for Edwardian jewelry was the three-decade period between 1890 and 1920. Although King Edward VII only reigned from 1901 to 1910, this son of Queen Victoria wielded such influence on societal tastes and the British Empire’s trade in precious stones that his era well surpassed his actual reign. Already actively involved in politics and trade before ascending to the throne, he traveled extensively and is, therefore, credited with actively shaping the look of jewelry that members of high society would eventually accept.

The dominant jewelry style of the Edwardian era followed the garland look. Heavily influenced by Parisian haute couture and style elements made famous by Louis XVI furniture, it was common to see plenty of bows, wreaths, stars, crescents and ribbons. Floral garlands and foliate motifs rounded out the design elements. Sizes and shapes varied depending on the expense the buyer of the jewelry was willing to incur. Actual artisanship relied on saw-pierced mounts, diamonds in circular cuts and collets.

Whereas the end of Queen Victoria’s reign gave rise to the imagery of the L'Art Nouveau style with its Japanese influences, Edwardian jewelry design coincided with the influences of the Ballets Russes and Louis Comfort Tiffany. Water lilies, peacocks and orchids gave way to synthetic rubies and blue sapphires in the forms of stars and bows. Colorful exotics were suddenly the hot commodity that ladies and gents favored when buying or commissioning jewelry.

Modern collectors easily identify this type of jewelry by the emphasis on platinum as the precious metal of choice and yellow gold as a base holder for a diamond trim. Focal points were frequently larger diamonds that feature the Old European cut. Smaller diamonds served as accent pieces and favored a rose cut. Other accents included moonstones and pearls. Toward the latter part of the period - due to the war effort - platinum for jewelry-making fell out of favor and was quickly replaced with white gold.

It is interesting to note that the Edwardian periodcoincided with the passage of the United States National Stamping Act, which mandated the proper marking of silver and gold contents. When the jewelry style made it to American shores, the Stamp Act requirements further enhanced the creation of visually stunning pieces in high-quality settings.

In fact, Edwardian-style jewelry quickly became a worldwide obsession. France’s Cartier took on the challenge to fabricate adornments in the garland style. Russia’s Faberge played around with the motif as well. In the United States, Tiffany & Co. became the most famous jewelry maker to experiment with the new designs that gave the previously favored French pieces a run for the money.

As the Edwardian period came to a close in about 1920, the stage was set for Art Deco to usher in geometric shapes and chunky styles. Whimsical filigree fell out of favor and stacked jewelry as well as Egyptian and Indian design elements dominated the up and coming decade for jewelry aficionados.

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