Category Archives: Antique Jewelry Directory

For a long period of time, Bohemian garnet and other red-hued gemstones were classified as ‘karfunkle’, deriving from the Latin term ‘carbunculus’, meaning ‘burning charcoal’. The Bohemian garnet or ‘pyrope’ is one of the large groups of garnets of which … Continue reading →

In broad terms, a cameo is defined as a precious or a semi-precious stone on which a design is carved ‘en relief’, being the exact opposite of the ‘intaglio’ carving which dates farther back in history. Whereas the intaglio engraved … Continue reading →

The Victorian age saw Queen Victoria reign for 64 years during which time Edison invented the light bulb, Marconi invented the telegraph and the Lumiere brothers ushered in the cinema. The Czar of Russia abolished serfdom, Freud penetrated secrets of … Continue reading →

Literally translated as ‘new art’, the Art Nouveau influence spanned roughly thirty years, from 1890 to 1919, shocking the Victorians and Edwardians in forms of diverted self expressionism. Greatly influencing Western architecture, textiles, metalwork and interior design, this period was … Continue reading →

Defined as an object, ornamental or otherwise, or a piece of jewelry worn with the intention of providing protection against evil, injury, disease, or bad luck. The origins of Amulets containing inscriptions or other magical material are to be sought … Continue reading →

Repoussé , or embossing, is a metalworking technique in which a malleable metal is ornamented or shaped by hammering from the underside. There are few techniques that offer such diversity of expression while still being relatively economical. While repoussé is … Continue reading →

A great deal of high quality jewelry in genuine Art Nouveau style was manufactured in Germany, principally in Pforzheim, a town on the edge of the Black Forest that centered then, as now, around the jewelry industry. The history of … Continue reading →

Austrian jewelry had been totally under the influence of Paris until the turn of the century when parallel modernistic art movements began to produce a new and distinctive style. In his treatise on modern Austrian jewelry published in a special … Continue reading →

Some agate jewelry made between 1842 and 1883 bears the diamond-shaped British Registry mark, however, as the makers rarely signed their work, little is known about the makers. A study of catalogs listing the international exhibitors attending The International Exhibition … Continue reading →

Rings were thought to have an amuletic or protective property, derived either from the stone with which they were set or from the inscription with which they were engraved. The use of stones in rings throughout the history illustrates a … Continue reading →