Estate jewelry

Estate Jewelry (or jewellery) is a term used, most commonly in a retail sense, to refer to jewelry and often timepieces which are part of the ‘estate’ of a deceased person. More correctly estate jewelry is second-hand or pre-owned jewelry, with the ‘estate’ appellation signifying that the item is antique, vintage or an otherwise considered a significant or important piece.

Estate jewelry may come from any time period, however the most popular are Georgian, Early Victorian, Mid-Victorian, Late Victorian, Arts and Crafts Era, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Retro, and Art Organique.

Georgian-era jewelry is fairly hard to come by as much of it has been dismantled over the years. Therefore, it represents some of the most sought-after estate jewelry.

Early Victorian-era jewelry also featured nature-inspired designs, similar to jewelry of the Georgian era. Frequently, these designs were delicately and intricately etched into gold. Lockets and brooches were popular in daytime jewelry during the early Victorian era, whereas colored gemstones and diamonds were worn during the evening.

Because the Grand or Mid-Victorian era corresponded with the death of Queen Victoria’s husband, many jewelry pieces have solemn, somber designs. Known as mourning jewelry, the pieces feature heavy, dark stones. Jet, onyx, amethyst, and garnet are frequently found in jewelry from this period. Compared to previous periods, Mid-Victorian-era jewelry features highly creative, colorful designs using shells, mosaics and gemstones.

During the Late Victorian or Aesthetic period, jewelers used diamonds and feminine, bright gemstones such as sapphire, peridot, and spinel. Star and crescent designs as well as elaborate hat pins were also popular. Some scholars believe the aesthetic era began sooner, in 1875, and ended as early as 1890.

Due to the Industrial Revolution, many jewelry designers rebelled during the Arts and Crafts movement, returning to intricate jewelry designs and handmade craftsmanship. It was common for jewelry of this era to be simple in pattern and made of colorful, uncut stones.

Art Nouveau jewelry features natural designs such as flowers and butterflies and were generally considered "romantic". This style was popular from about 1895 until World War I. The style actually began around 1875 in Paris, and its influence went throughout the western world. The style died out by the end of World War I but has often been revived. Art Nouveau jewelry follows curves and naturalistic designs, especially depicting long-haired, sensual women, sometimes turning into bird-like or flower-like forms.

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Wikipedia