19th Century / Around 1900
The 19th Century: Changing Art and Jewellery
In Europe in the 19th century, visual arts significantly progressed, and numerous new styles developed. In some cases, the design methods and their underlying philosophies differed significantly, resulting in an interesting stylistic pluralism. During this period, many foundations were laid for the art of the 20th and 21st centuries. These changes in art also affected trends, designs, and the production of jewellery styles. Some designs or design concepts were adopted directly from the fine arts into jewellery production, for example, in Art Nouveau jewellery. However, advancements in science, technology, and societal changes also influenced 19th-century jewellery. While jewellery crafting had been predominantly a manual process until this time, industrialization enabled the mechanized and automated production of jewellery. In addition, new materials became established that were significantly cheaper. With these new materials and manufacturing processes, finely crafted jewellery became accessible not only to the affluent but also to the bourgeoisie and the working class. As a result, artfully crafted jewellery became a mass product. In the higher social classes, jewellery made of precious materials such as gold and silver remained extremely popular. Platinum, another popular and valuable material for jewellery production, was added in the 19th century.
Art Epochs and Jewellery Design Develop at the Same Time
Numerous artistic epochs emerged from the 19th century that would profoundly shape art history. The widely known styles that emerged during this time include Classicism, Romanticism, Biedermeier, Historicism, Impressionism, Symbolism and Art Nouveau. The foundations for Expressionism, which dominated the early 20th century, were already laid at the end of the 19th century. Some of these epochs had a direct impact on popular jewellery design. For example, Victorian jewellery, which spread from England, showed similarities to various artistic styles of the 19th century. Biedermeier also manifested itself in jewellery design. The Biedermeier art style focused once again on nature, which translated into jewellery motifs depicting flowers and animals. However, the most obvious and direct influence of an artistic style on jewellery design can be observed in jewellery from around 1900 - the Belle Epoque jewellery. The styles that fall into this period, such as Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and Jugendstil, were united by combining the fine arts of painting, sculpture and architecture with design and artisanship. The design concepts were reflected in numerous objects of everyday life, such as buildings, furniture, and Belle Epoque jewellery. Typical of Art Nouveau jewellery were floral motifs and filigree, curved ornaments.
Buy 19th Century Jewellery Featuring Designs at ars mundi
Here, at ars mundi, you can buy various pieces of jewellery such as necklaces, bracelets, wristwatches, jewellery boxes, earrings or brooches that are inspired in design by one of the many styles of the 19th century or are a reminiscence of famous artists of the time. For instance, we offer necklaces and bracelets inspired by Claude Monet or Gustav Klimt. Many other pieces of jewellery correspond in design to Art Nouveau jewellery or Art Déco jewellery. Furthermore, you can buy musical jewellery boxes featuring motifs by famous artists such as Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Adolph von Menzel or Alphonse Mucha.