The essentials of the Art Nouveau period

Also named Guimard style or Modern style in France, theThe Art Nouveau period emerged during the 1890s and has profoundly marked the history of jewelry, resulting from a collective movement that freed itself from the classicism of the time. This period is often confused with Belle-Époque style, present at the same time, but they are nevertheless differentiated by their different inspirations.

In 1895, The French artists' salon admits art objects for the first time, closely followed by the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris which highlighted creations from a new generation of jewelers emblematic of Art Nouveau jewelry: the house of Vever, Lucien Gaillard, Georges Fouquet and particularly Rein Lalique. They alone develop a new interpretation of old themes and use new materials. 

Rich in creations, this movement was however short-lived, since the First World War marked its end in 1914.

The sources of inspiration for Art Nouveau 

Art Nouveau draws its inspiration mainly from nature, with a particular fascination for Japanese art. This influence is reflected in curved and organic lines, evoking flora and fauna. THE flowers are represented both as a tribute to this nature and also for their symbolism and poetry. Animal jewelry representative of Butterflies, dragonflies, fish, birds, reptiles and even fantastic creatures are also widely used themes, allowing you to play on the contrast between shades of color, iridescence, volumes and textures.

The second major source of inspiration of this period is the female body, and more particularly the face and hair, represented alone or alongside natural elements. Sometimes, these two themes merge, giving rise to figures of fairies or mermaids, which are called "metamorphoses" in the jewel.

In summary, the Art Nouveau period marks a new, more modern approach to jewelry, highlighting the beauty of natural forms, movement and life.

Characteristic materials of Art Nouveau jewelry

Regarding materials, this key period in jewelry is characterized by gold jewelry and silver, which for the most part, only use them incidentally precious stones like diamond, ruby, emerald, and sapphire for the benefit of fine stones like topaz and amethyst, decorative such as agate, opal, moonstone and pearl or even sculpted organic materials such as mother-of-pearl, ivory and horn. The house Lalique even employs the use of glass in which it specializes. Enamel (of all forms) also enjoys great popularity in jewelry of the Art Nouveau period.

Jewelers of this era experiment and blur the line between art and craft. They favored the beauty and artistic dimension of the jewel, often to the detriment of their material and financial value, which are then composed of more modest elements. 

 
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The main part of the period Art Deco
Exhibition School of Jewelry Arts: A new art, metamorphosis of jewelry