Twentieth-Century Metal and Jewelry Designers

This table lists by country the maker or factory, location, date, mark, and other information about metal and jewelry designers of the twentieth century. Parentheses enclose the birth and death dates of the artist. Other dates given are approximate working dates of the factory or artist. The names of workers or designers connected with jewelry […]

Nineteenth-Century Jewelry and Metalwork Designers and Manufacturers

This table lists the maker, date, mark, and other information about jewelry designers of the nineteenth century. Parentheses enclose the birth and death dates of the artist. Other dates given are approximate working dates of the factory or artist. The names of other workers or designers connected with the factory are also in parentheses. Only […]

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 […]

Famous Firsts in Jewelry

Important dates and events in the Jewelry industry to help you date your piece. Date Event 1798 18K used to mark gold in England 1840 Gold and silver electroplating developed 1840-1900 C-hook catch extends beyond edge of brooch 1849 Opals discovered in Australia 1850 Tube-shaped (trombone) brooch catch 1854 9K, 12K, 15K gold used in […]

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 […]

Plastic Costume Jewelry

Celluloid was the first plastic used for jewelry. It was invented in 1868 to make billiard balls. By the early 1900s, manufacturers had a process for setting stones or metal into celluloid, and it became a versatile material for costume jewelry. Popular celluloid pieces included bangle bracelets studded with rhinestones; figural pins; dress clips and […]

Dating Costume Jewelry By Color

Color can help date costume jewelry. It was made to go with the fashions of the day. Pale purple glass, amethyst, and opals were popular about 1910. Crystal, black, silver, and bright colors like red, yellow, blue, and green were used in the 1920s. Bright stones and rhinestones were in vogue in the 1930s. Red, […]