Jewelry Making and the Art Nouveau Influence

On my first visit to Paris, I fell in love with Art Nouveau. I purchased an Alphonse Mucha poster, that still hangs in my bedroom and serves as a frame for the box that holds most of my jewelry collection.

Making jewelry is influenced by different inspirations and art movements. As a jewelry artist I find inspiration in many different places.

The Art Nouveau design movement emerged in fin de siecle Paris, during the final years of Victoria's reign, and was showcased at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900. Like the concurrent Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau was based on a return to craftsmanship, and an emphasis on design over material. This is seen in many buildings, cafes and streets signs, and let’s not forget t he curvaceously flamboyant entrances to the Metro stations wrought in writhing green steel.

These never ending curvaceous lines have inspired many of my own jewelry designs.

Jewelry making was highly influenced by nature; it correlated with the Victorian interest in the natural world. The whimsical forms of butterflies, dragonflies, snakes, orchids and irises are ever present in the jewelry making designs.

Enameling techniques enhanced the jewelry by adding color and texture.

• The use of Cloisonne - in which gold wire forms partitions areas into which the enamel is poured.


• Champleve – a technique were the enamel fills recesses cut out from the background metal.


• Basse-Taille – an engraved design in the metal is covered with, but still visible through a transparent enamel.
  

• Plique-e-Jour – the backing metal is removed from the translucent enamel after firing, resulting in a stained glass effect.



Let’s not forget the precious gemstones.. They were meant to enhance the aesthetic design of the jewelry rather than add intrinsic value to the jewelry making. Stones such as moonstones, opals, amethyst, citrine, peridot and pearls were used widely in the jewelry of the era.


These gemstones are always present in my work and I integrate pearls in many of my designs.


Read the following article to learn more about the how to identify gemstones used to make the jewelry throughout history.

From Art Nouveau to Art Deco




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