Downton Abbey, the award winning period drama television programme is now airing its 5th series. Time is marching ahead for the characters and we now see them in the mid-1920s. As usual, great attention to detail is paid to the historical accuracy of the scenes such as the characters' clothing and the furnishings of the house. Nor has the detail of period jewellery been overlooked- and as such, through this popular television series, fabulous art deco jewellery has been thrown into the limelight.
The 1920s hails the beginning of the famous art deco design period- a movement which began in France and was unveiled to the world at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in June 1925. Jewellery of this period is a striking contrast from the Edwardian delicate floral designs of the previous era- and previous episodes. Art deco is all about bold geometric crisp lines with vibrant dashes of colour- greens, reds, blues and blacks juxtaposed against the brilliance of diamonds. This innovative style created the need for new cuts of stones so we see the introduction of previously unseen cuts such as the emerald cut, baguette cut and asscher cuts became more widely used.
In recent episodes we have seen the ladies sporting the stylish ensembles of the epoque- such as beaded swinging flapper dresses. These opulent outfits are lavishly accessorised with the up-to-the-minute jewels of the time- long art deco pearl sautoirs, jewelled hair accessories and more! The ladies of the household clearly have a penchant for jewellery so it is highly likely that they would have been wearing the new art deco designs from the best of the French jewellery houses. One can easily see them wearing our Cartier pearl and diamond set jabot pin (reference 16222), or our Boucheron geometric pearl and diamond brooch (ref. 16248).
Here at Berganza we have a significant collection of beautiful original art deco pieces, whether you are looking for a glamorous art deco engagement ring, an unusual special gift or treating yourself to a stunning bejewelled complement to an outfit, we are sure to have that extraordinary piece for you.
