Edwardian Jewellery Separating Fact From Fiction

Edwardian jewellery as a whole has never completely gone out of fashion. Certain pieces can commonly be seen on red carpets from Hollywood to Paris as the A-listers attend premieres and exclusive events.

The good news is that good quality Edwardian jewellery is within the reach of normal people and a number of high-quality jewellery dealers have an impressive inventory of Edwardian jewellery that is sure to pique the interest of even the most contemporary fashionista.

Aside from those vintage engagement rings that easily catch anyone’s fancy, Edwardian jewellery has been drawing people in. If you are one of those considering buying Edwardian jewellery or even have a passing interest in it, the facts below might surprise you. If you do want to see some examples of the best Edwardian jewellery in circulation at the moment, you can visit your nearby antique shops or check out online store Kalmar Antiques as it contains a number of handpicked pieces at surprisingly affordable prices.

Edwardian Jewellery – Interesting Facts 

• King Edward the Trailblazer – King Edward of England was extravagant and loved to party hard. His guests would try and outdo each other in terms of extravagance and jewellery but in reality, there would only ever be one winner and that was the king himself. These extravagant expressions of wealth set the scene for the aptly named Edwardian jewellery that we still admire today.

• The Cartier Factor – The world-renowned jeweller Cartier came to prominence in the 19th century. It was well-known in all circles of society by the early 20th century and became King Edward’s official jeweller. The pieces commissioned by King Edward and created by Cartier have contributed towards Cartier’s reputation as the world’s most regal jeweller.
• Material And Methodologies – Bearing in mind that the era of Edwardian jewellery was a time of extravagance, the materials and cost of production was a secondary consideration in the pursuit of style and as a result, machines were discarded and handcrafted jewellery was suddenly back in fashion. The resulting handcrafted jewellery was highly regarded for its ornate delicateness and detailed style. This was also the time when platinum become the most preferred metal due to its ability to be easily used in the creation of diamond-encrusted ‘lace’ jewellery. Pearls were also very popular during the Edwardian era and at the time were said to be worth more than diamonds on the open market.
• Styles – The jewellery styles fashionable in the Edwardian era were wide and varied but one thing they all shared in common was a rude extravagance. Long necklaces and ornately designed bracelets and earrings were all the rage in well-heeled circles and can still be found at highly regarded antique jewellery dealers. If you’d like to see what special Edwardian jewellery is currently available don’t hesitate to reach out and ask an antique jewellery specialist about their current inventory.
• WW1 – Party Killer – The great war of 1914-1918 put a stop to ultra-extravagant jewellery as the war effort required all spare stocks of strong platinum to be diverted. This effectively closed the door on one of the most extravagant periods in jewellery history.

If you’d like to grab a piece of jewellery history, all you need to do is visit an antique jewellery dealer who is sure to have something that tickles your fancy.