Art deco jewelry designers used great innovation in the designs and materials that they used to create a look that was reflective of the new ideas and changing times of its era. The 1920s and 30s were the times of the flapper, jazz and the machine age.

Greater Mix Of Materials Used

In this great mix of excitement, it was possible to wear jewelry that was created from an assortment of materials that was not widely used for jewelry until it became popular during that time. A jewelry designer could use chrome, plastic, steel as well as the regular assortment of precious gems and metals including the new platinum. Stones and semi-precious stones and gems could be mixed with the new metals and any of the other materials in the art deco styled jewelry.

A great appreciation for costume jewelry, which uses materials that are not precious metals and gems, grew out of this era and important jewelry designers of this era including Coco Chanel, Raymond Templier, Elsa Shiaparella, Paul Emile Brandt and Rene Lalique became famous. Despite the lower cost of the materials that were being used in art deco jewelry, the cost could still be expensive, the same as it is today.

Exotic And Futuristic Influences

The influences for the jewelry designers included cultural themes including exotic themes such as from the ancient Egyptian era, Eastern designs and African tribal. Other common themes for the jewelry were romantic floral designs, futurism and machines. Many art deco jewelry pieces can be identified by their strong geometric design. The art deco style also ranged from the seriously beautiful to seriously silly pieces such as the popular plastic brooches that featured moving eyes on the faces.

Art deco jewelry was an important art of the art deco movement and it was in Paris where art deco found its center. The era took its name from the Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Moderns that was held in 1925 in Paris and where the look was established as a new trend for designers. The look of art deco and its influences on jewelry designers pushed the artisans on to greater innovation.

During the art deco movement, the jewelry designer was free to experiment with a variety of materials and processes to create their jewelry and many of these pieces continue to influence modern jewelers because the design and construction of the pieces make them such classics.