Art Nouveau Jewelry

Art Nouveau jewelry is whimsical and, today, very nostalgic wearable art. Many women long for the qualities of the art nouveau jewelry of yesteryear, as it exemplifies simpler and more innocent times, while at the same time its charming allure pulls on the endearing memories of our grandparents.

The hands of a skilled art nouveau jeweler crafted these works of art, not the production lines manufacturing jewelry today. Imaginative and mystical Art Nouveau period was from 1890-1919. It featured free-flowing, curving lines with asymmetrical natural motifs, such as human, female faces, greatly influenced by Japanese art. It used gemstones to emphasize their beauty, preferring pearls and cabochon opals and moonstones rather than faceted stones, and employed colourful enamelling.

The Edwardian and Art Nouveau movements overlapped with both emerging during the final decade of the 1890's.



The 1890's was a period of rapid colonial expansion, opening the door to a multitude of exotic ideas and designs. A whole new century was about to begin and creativity and originality flourished. Art Nouveau jewelers were less concerned with valuable gemstones than with overall effect of their Art Nouveau Jewelry. New Art Nouveau jewelry materials were introduced such as horn and other materials were used: amber, ivory, opals, pearls, glass, as well as other precious and synthetic stones. Platinum was used along with gold and silver.

Searching for Art Nouveau Jewelry on eBay can be daunting. Why do separate searches when I've done it all for you! Just bookmark this page and return every few days to see recent fine estate art nouveau auction listings.

Estate Art Nouveau jewelry is expressive, exotic and exuberant. Art Nouveau means "new art" in French, the name being derived from a gallery for interior decoration opened by Samuel Bing in Paris in 1896, called the "Maison de l'Art Nouveau". It was introduced in England circa 1890, mainly as a product of the movement started by William Morris and the pre-Raphaelites, which spread to the Continent and America. It came to an end with the outbreak of World War I.

In Art Nouveau jewelry, nature was a central theme. Dreamy, exotic feminine figures were also depicted with long flowing hair.

The art nouveau movement motto was "Art for all, and Art everywhere." In this movement art took on the forms of living things, trees, flowers, dragonflies, insects, swans, snakes, plants, nature and the female body. Many forms were both stylized and exaggerated in Art Nouveau jewelry. It is not that the art created was earthy, instead the art had curvilinear forms like those occurring in nature.

Art Nouveau designers/jewelers also employed a pastel color palette much like the Impressionists.

This picture below showcases Rene Lalique Jewelry.



Most significant was the use of enameling. Some pieces were completely covered in enamel, some had areas etched away and filled with enamel, while many others used the plique-a-jour method - an open window in the jewelry was filled with the enamel paste and baked in an oven that reached 1000 degrees. This process was repeated up to twenty times for the enameling to get its toughness and color, giving the finished piece an appearance of stained glass windows.


The greatest Art Nouveau designer was Rene Lalique, who earned a worldwide reputation as a master of the plique-a-jour method. His creations, like most of the Art Nouveau jewelry, were mostly made by hand. Many of these pieces were considered works of art more than jewelry. In fact many of them can only be viewed in Art Galleries and Museums. Art Nouveau, having only lasted around 15 years, has been compared to a rare exotic flower that bloomed for only a brief time.



The Dragonfly Woman jewelry corsage ornament is considered by many to be his masterwork. It was purchased by the wealthy collector Calouste Gulbenkian; his wife was the only person ever to have worn it. It would have moved with her -- the long spine is articulated and the wings hinged to flutter. In that sense, and in its finely observed detail, Lalique's piece has a remarkable degree of naturalism.


Libelulle 1897 - 1898
gold, enamel, chrysoprase, moonstones, and diamonds

One of the leading designers of Art Nouveau Jewelry was Georges Fouquet. He introduced drama, sensuous forms, and expressive symbolism to his designs.



  He actively collaborated with the designer Charles Desrosiers.



Charles Desrosiers began to employ the master enameler Etienne Tourette, who was known for creating shimmering effects (sometimes by etching the surface of the enamel with acid), and for his enamels with tiny inclusions of gold leaf (paillons) hence enameling became highly associated with Art Nouveau jewelry.

Art Nouveau jewelry featured free-flowing, curving lines with asymmetrical natural motifs, such as human, female faces, and was greatly influenced by Japanese art.

Motifs used in Art Nouveau Jewelry were inspired by nature. Butterflies, dragons, orchids, snakes and lilies were the popular motifs preferred. Widespread usage of precious and semi-precious gemstones, horn, copper shell, tortoise shell, ivory and shells was the norm.

Here are two beautiful Art Nouveau Jewelry pieces, both of which are made of fine gold. Although they are not a matching set, this is a great opportunity to acquire some fine Art Nouveau Jewelry. The pendant is set with garnets, amethysts and a blister pearl. A Chain is included. The pendant is marked 9ct or 9Kt in North American terms.


The Edwardian Art Nouveau Brooch is set with small Seed Pearls and an Amethyst and marked 15ct or 15Kt in North American terms.

The two pieces are early Fine Edwardian Art Nouveau Jewelry or Late Victorian Fine Jewelry.

Sold in eBay auction for $218.83.

For his second wife, Augustine-Alice Ledru, Lalique designed this powerfully evocative necklace, around the turn of the century. The repeats of the main motif - an attenuated female nude whose highly stylized curling hair swirls around her head and whose arms sensuously curve down to become a border enclosing enamel-and-gold swans and an oval cabochon amethyst - are separated by pendants set with fire opals mounted in swirling gold tendrils.



Necklace, ca. 1900

Gold, enamel, Australian opal, Siberian amethysts; Overall diam. 9-1/2 in. (24.1 cm) 9 large pendants: H. 2-3/4, W. 2-1/4 in. (7 x 5.7 cm) 9 small pendants: H. 1-3/8, W. 1-1/4 in. (3.5 x 3.2 cm)

Gift of Lillian Nassau, 1985 (1985.114)