|
History of Fashion
Jewelry
In 1969 the names Klein,
Blass, Halston and Lauren were just becoming known
in the fashion world. Over the next two decades they
have joined the likes of Dior, Chanel and Balenciaga
as metaphors for good design. They became trademarks
for style.
The same kind of evolution has happened in the
jewelry world - only more slowly. Designer
recognition and brand identity are the buzz words of
our economically stressed industry. Today it's
becoming quite common for a customer to walk into a
jewelry store and ask for a Yurman or a Good, a
Robert Lee Morris or a Lagos... a rare request 10
years ago; an impossibility 20 years ago.
Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, David
Webb and Harry Winston have been the most famous
names in 20th century jewelry. However, except for
Webb these jewelers are famous retailers not
designers. The jewelry sold under these names isn't
the artistic output of one visionary but rather the
collective force from a purposefully nameless,
faceless ensemble.
The real battle for designer recognition was fought
by the jewelry artists who started with a dream,
took it to the bench and came away with a collection
that they peddled to mom-and-pop retailers around
the country. Or they showed at the early craft fairs
and became part of the Camelot era of crafts people
who challenged each other artistically and found
eager followers who owned galleries and shops where
the hand was mightier than the machine.
In the last twenty years we've seen the designer
jewelry business grow by inches and then yards at a
time. In 1977 the Jewelers of America show debuted
its New Designer Gallery and the industry never
looked back. While the designers struggled to gain
acceptance in the marketplace- slowly moving from
the background into the spotlight - the retailers
who supported them struggled as well. Consumers have
been slow to accept name branded jewelry but with
the proliferation of designer names on everything
from jeans to bed sheets to shoes and even soap it
was only a matter of time for people to want a Jose
Hess diamond ring rather than one with just a carat
of sparkle.
Designer jewelry as a concept and a business really
took hold in the early 80s when fine jewelry stores,
upscale department stores and premiere craft
galleries flourished with unique merchandise. This
prosperity gave designers hope and so many who were
once considered just craftsmen or freethinking
artists were now finding acceptance in the
marketplace as viable commodities. The validation
was overwhelming.
As the 90s took hold and the recession set in, it
was more and more difficult for jewelers to survive
and those that did often were able to make the hard
won sale with a piece of unique jewelry - often a
piece of designer jewelry. So while the industry
staggered designers weathered the storm.
The stakes were again moved higher - and now that
both designers and retailers have become savvier
about the powers of marketing, name recognition and
designer caché which has made the inevitable occur;
it's no longer good enough to make beautiful, unique
designs now - you have to master marketing,
promotion, advertising and public relations to stand
out in the crowd. When so many mass manufacturers
are adding a designer's name to their logo and every
tool and die shop offers a designer line it takes so
much more to succeed.
Check out our jewelry timeline and see the journey
we’ve made.
ANCIENT JEWELRY
In general, fashions from the Ancient Greek and
Roman periods and before were simple. Women from all
cultures adorned themselves with jewelry such as
earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and rings fashioned
from earthy materials such as stones and gems.
MEDIEVAL JEWELRY
Celtic style jewelry pieces were being developed and
were becoming very popular.
RENAISSANCE JEWELRY
The women adorned their coiffures with shimmering
veils and dazzling jewels, while men wore broad hats
that were sometimes trimmed with gemstones.
ELIZABETHAN JEWELRY
Gentlemen wore cloaks fastened by a chain and
crucifix, fine silk stockings, and beaver hats or
bonnets with a plume on one side. Wealthy ladies
often wore large gold pendants and a French "hood"
on the neck for adornment. Queen Elizabeth was also
known to favor cameos to complement her garments.
GEORGIAN JEWELRY
Men of the period dressed plainly for sports and
country life, but adorned themselves in high fashion
at court. Their suits were made from rich velvets,
silks and satins, and decorated with braid,
embroidery, and buttons of gold, silver, and jewels.
VICTORIAN JEWELRY
As for accessories of this era, the cameo became all
the rage of the mid-19th century. Although and
Catherine the Great had an impressive collection as
well, Queen Victoria revived the jewelry piece
during her reign. Cameos during the Victorian era
were often attached to a black velvet ribbon and
worn as a choker. Jewelers during the nineteenth
century used gemstones, stone, shell, lava, coral
and manmade materials as mediums to carve cameos.
Shell had been used by Italian carvers since 1805,
and by the Victorian era, was the favorite material
of cameo designers. Popular subjects for cameos
included depictions of deities from Greek mythology
(especially the Three Graces, the daughters of
Zeus), the Biblical Rebecca at the well, and the
Bacchante maidens adorned with grape leaves in their
hair. The Victorians' appreciation for naturalism,
especially their love of gardening, was also
captured in cameos featuring flowers and trees.
Finally, the Victorian woman of means often
commissioned a cameo in her likeness, while other
artists depicted an idealized woman with an upswept
hairstyle and Romanesque features.
EDWARDIAN JEWELRY
The Art Nouveau style also invaded women's jewelry
styles, as peacocks, dragonflies and moths created
out of dazzling enamels and gold filigree became
standard adornments for ladies' combs and brooches.
|