Jewellery 1789-1910: The International Era, Vol. 2

by Shirley Bury

This is the first fully documented study of the jewellery produced during a period when old craft traditions co-existed with new industrial techniques and when the expansion of population created a demand for a vast range of affordable pieces. Sources range from the English Royal Archives to the pattern and sales books of small firms. Never before has so much detailed information been made available. This second volume starts after the death of the Prince Consort and the Duchess of Kent, when archaeological design was adopted by virtually every reputable dealer in the world and classical design dominated the International Exhibition of 1862. Subsequent exhibitions in Paris, Vienna, Philadelphia, St. Louis and elsewhere afforded leading jewelers an unparalleled shop window which enabled them to survive the worst slump of the century. Innovative Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau work, some of it matching astonishing beauty with technical daring, brought jewellery into the realm of fine art for a few dizzy years at the turn of the century, but it was the flamboyant diamond ornaments produced for Court wear by conventional firms which were the true precursors of Art Deco. The book ends on the eve of the First World War when the international trade was still at its height.

863 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 1991