Scandinavian Silver Jewelry

Scandinavian design for jewelry, as well as furniture and other decorative arts, was quite different from the designs seen in other countries. Before 1900, artists in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland based their design on motifs from the Viking Age, the eighth through the eleventh century. The Scandinavians also produced regional folk jewelry that was […]

Mexican Silver Jewelry

In 1929, William Spratling moved from New Orleans to Taxco, Mexico. He started designing jewelry made from the silver, amethyst, and obsidian available nearby. A local master silversmith and about eighteen apprentices made the pieces he designed. Ten years later, his shop had grown and he had 300 Mexican craftsmen making silver jewelry and tableware. […]

Memphis Jewelry

Memphis, an Italian design group started in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass, created startling designs that ignored many of the “rules.” A table could have a free-form top and four very different looking legs, each finished in a different color. Memphis jewelry was also unique. It was made from white metal, then partially enameled in bright […]

American Indian Jewelry

American Indian jewelry has attracted collectors for years. Each tribe has its own distinctive designs and techniques. Early jewelry was made for use in ceremonies and as portable wealth. Later jewelry was made for tourists. In 1935 Congress created the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to promote development in Indian communities through arts and crafts. […]

Czechoslovakian Glass Jewelry

Glass has been made since the thirteenth century in the area of central Europe known as Bohemia. The region became a province in the Republic of Czechoslovakia in 1918 and is now part of the Czech Republic. In the nineteenth century, Josef Riedel had started an industry there making straight glass rods for beads and […]