The era we now know as “Art Deco” received its moniker from the Exposition International des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, held in Paris in 1925, which was largely dedicated to the jewelry arts. Emphasis was placed on the association of art and modern industry. Inspiration for this style was as far-reaching as Oriental, African and South American Art and as varied as Cubism and Fauvism, both popular movements at the time. The term “Cubism” was often used to describe jewelry of this era because of the angles, geometric lines and figurative representations used in its execution. A desire to eliminate the flowing lines of Art Nouveau and distill designs to their rudimentary geometric essence, thus eliminating seemingly unnecessary ornament, resulted in the cleaner and more rigid lines employed in Art Deco jewelry. A look forward toward modernism and the machine age also featured prominently at this juncture in jewelry history.

The First World War transformed women’s fashion like nothing in the preceding 100 years ever had. Taking up hard physical work in the absence of men required women to forgo their corsets, shorten their sleeves, cut their hair and raise their hemlines. When the war ended women were reluctant to return to their pre-war, constrictive garments, electing to follow instead the new fashions being presented by Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel. Simple, elegant clothing with straight lines and a freer silhouette required a rethinking of jewelry styles as well. All this fashion freedom allowed women to pursue sporting and leisure activities previously unavailable to them. Enjoying cocktails and cigarettes, wearing makeup, playing golf and tennis, driving, yachting and dancing till dawn were all a part of the new woman.

Other influences in the 1920s included the celebratory exuberance present throughout Europe, especially in France, following years of War. Previously shunned ideas, innovations and inventions were suddenly welcomed in the spirit of rebuilding and renewal. Money flowed more freely than it had during and even prior to the war. The Franc was losing value quickly and wealth in the form of jewelry seemed like a good idea to the newly prosperous post-war citizens. Magazines were widely circulated demonstrating what a woman should wear, how a home should be furnished and what to feel about nearly everything.

The exciting new archeological discoveries in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, primarily the tomb of Tutankhamun, influenced design motifs during this period. Figurative representations of lotus blossoms, pyramids, the eye of Horus, scarabs, nearly anything from the ancient time of the Pharaohs, was fair game as a jewelry motif. Notable jewelers working during this period adapted Egyptian influences into their designs and popularized them around the world. Entire scenes of ancient Egyptian life played out over bracelets, rendered in new color combinations created by combining lapis lazuli with gold and cornelian with turquoise.

The Indian jewelry that became so popular at the opening of the twentieth century was an inspiration to the jewelers of the 1920s both stylistically and chromatically. Carved gemstones, so popular in Indian jewelry, were utilized as flowers, leaves, fruit and other colorful accents. Design motifs were also drawn from Islamic art with their stylized forms and colorful accents. Persian motifs included flowers, plants, and arabesques rendered sumptuously in emerald and sapphire or jade and lapis lazuli. Chinese dragons and architectural motifs along with Oriental coral, pearls, and jade turned up extensively in Art Deco designs. Pre-Columbian design motifs from Central America and African tribal art often expressed as masks and ebony heads, all had some influence in this new aesthetic.

The two major schools of jewelry design were evident during this period. Bijoutiers-artistes emphasized design over intrinsic value. To that end they were using gemstones in a sculptural way, carving them into various geometric artworks using diamonds and other faceted gems as punctuation rather than the main focus. These works were often created with the collaboration of crafts persons who were not exclusively practicing the jewelry arts. Architects, painters, sculptors, an entire community of artists, shared ideas and designs, enriching each other’s disciplines and providing inspiration from an array of new sources. The new ways in which lines were used, color applied, relief employed, along with completely unrelated skills such as lacquer work came out of this new collaboration between artists.

Bijoutiers-joailliers, working in the well-known Parisian jewelry establishments, were using calibré-cut precious gemstones to accent and enhance their geometric creations outlining designs and flanking rows of diamonds. As time went by they added trapeze, half-moon, triangle and other unusual diamond cuts to their repertoire. Their fascination with the Far East resulted not only in the use of fabulous carved gems from India, but in mixing precious stones with coral, rock crystal quartz, lapis lazuli, agate, and turquoise.

Each of the bijoutiers-joailliers had a slightly different view of the design influences of the times. Cartier reinterpreted their garland style in a more geometric form adding influences from the Far East, India, and Persia. Carved beads from India and mother-of-pearl plaques from China along with carved rubies, sapphires and emeralds found their way into their designs. The jewelry firm Mellerio inclined towards an Oriental influence in using carved gems in their creations.

Mauboussin used enamels and colored gems to provide strong contrast to vast fields of diamonds and used a circular or oval enclosure for their designs. Van Cleef & Arpels took a more Egyptian-influenced approach for their designs, using pharaonic motifs extensively. All the French jewelers were immersed in Art Deco design, but each interpreted and emphasized different design themes of the times.

The stock market crash of 1929 did not diminish the jewelry arts, in fact, it seemed to cause a revolution in both the size and scope of jewelry. The 1930s were characterized by large brooches, voluminous ear clips and wide bracelets lavishly rendered only in diamonds. Monochromatic creations featuring a wide variety of diamond cuts were the norm but color wasn’t completely left out, just relegated to the role of outlining or providing a framework for the featured diamonds. Convertible jewelry was a notable feature of pieces from the Art Deco period. Double clips that could be worn separately as dress clips, or jointly as a larger brooch were typical. Bandeaus broke up into matching bracelets, necklaces and brooches while earrings with detachable elements provided a day-to-night option.