cheap tiffanyThe title of
Paul Scott's novel, The Jewel in the Crown, set in the period of the
British rule in India, was derived from an allegorical painting
depicting Queen Victoria, sitting regally on the throne of India, and
receiving the Koh-i-noor, which was considered the largest diamond in
the world once, as homage, representing India itself. The diamond was
later set into Queen Elizabeth's crown, and is still part of the
British crown jewelry, which is worn on formal occasions.
Jewelry
has been a favorite form of adornment since time immemorial. There is
evidence, for instance, of the skill the Greeks and Etruscans displayed
in the precious metals they worked on. In fact, most of the modern
jewelry that is created today still copy the designs of such antique
jewelry. The Romans also displayed a great fondness for jewelry and
wore it freely, as did the Victorians.
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The
pieces of antique jewelry that are available these days are timeless
classics that never go out of fashion. With their delicate grace and
ethereal charm, they remind us of a bygone era. Jewelry is considered
antique if it has been made in the 1900s or before. Imbued with unique
character, displaying exquisite craftsmanship, and often surrounded by
a whimsical aura, antique jewelry stands out from all other jewelry,
irrespective of how expensive or beautiful it may be. Antique jewelry,
in fact, is prized mostly for the classic understated elegance that is
inherent in their styling and design.
For instance, the turn of
the century ?from 1890 to 1910 ?was an era of great innovation and
change. After about 65 years of the reign of Queen Victoria, even the
Victorians, who loved tradition, were ready for new things, and in the
realm of jewelry, this pursuit for novelty gave rise to two extremely
beautiful and very different schools of jewelry design ?Art Nouveau and
Edwardian.
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Art
Nouveau, for example, explored the world of fantasy and nature. The top
jewelers of that time ?Karl Faberge, Georges Fouquet, Rene Lalique, and
Louis Comfort Tiffany ?designed exceptionally beautiful and original
pieces of jewelry inspired by mythological and natural themes. The
common motifs were mythical beasts, dragonflies, exotic flowers, and
enchanted damsels set amongst sinuously winding, vine-like creepers.
These
jewelers also tried out new materials as gems. Horn, tortoise shell,
demantoid garnets, moonstones, baroque pearls, and marvelous enameling
were included in the palette of the Art Nouveau jewelers. The intrinsic
value of the materials did not matter, rather the emphasis was on the
beauty and the originality of the jewelry they created.
While
the avant-garde favored the style of Art Nouveau, Edwardian jewelry was
a reflection of the elegant and refined tastes of the moneyed American
industrialists and English aristocracy. Edwardian jewelry is
characterized by cool elegance and airy lightness.
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Their
favorite metal was platinum, which they crafted into lacy delicate
creations, which were set with brilliantly cut, sparkling diamonds.
Some of these pieces of jewelry also have colored gemstones like black
opals from Australia, pastel blue sapphires from Montana, as well as
natural pearls. In the best of Edwardian jewelry, these beautiful
gemstones seem to float in a lacy firmament of platinum.
From
Edwardian brooches with flowing leaves and tendrils of platinum set
with diamonds, elegant Victorian gold bracelets, intricately crafted
sword handles, enamel encrusted belt buckles and pendants, to engraved
art deco lockets designed with concentric rings of white and blue
enamel?this kind of jewelry cannot be bought off the counter from just
any jewelry shop or departmental store. It is usually available at
exclusive boutiques, antique dealer's stores, big auction houses, and
niche show rooms, which, in fact are the reliable sources to buy
antique jewelry.
Although this jewelry is also available in
other shops and on websites online, it is best to exercise caution when
buying from these sources, because the originality of the pieces may be
suspect. Besides, you could end up paying an exorbitant price for a
piece of jewelry that may not be worth that much. Unless you are
knowledgeable and have a trained eye, it can be difficult to sort out
the authentic from the fake.
Usually, antique jewelry is also
passed down from one generation to the next, and belongs to family
heirlooms. Many pieces of antique jewelry are collector's items and
hence are quite expensive.
Wearing a simple piece of antique
jewelry has the ability of lending a sophisticated appeal to your whole
persona. One of the best aspects of antique jewelry is the appreciation
of their value over time, hence they can actually turn out to be good
investments. However, the main reason to own a piece of this jewelry is
the intrinsic joy that they are imbued with.
The word
jewelry?itself, or rather jewel? means joy, because jewelry has no
practical reason for its creation ?except for the beauty and joy that
it brings into our lives. Precious metals and gemstones are not jewelry
until the skillful hands of the jeweler puts life into them.
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