Our artists have very eclectic design styles.  Our jewelry designs combine the influences of several historical jewelry styles. Those that have most clearly influenced our designs are described briefly below.

Eyptian

 In ancient Eqypt semi-precious gemstones were associated with supernatural powers.  Egyptian jewelry is known for its colorful combinations of semi-precious gemstones as well as glass.  The Egyptians were the original creators of millefiori glasswork.  Semi-precious gemstones such as turquoise, jasper, lapis-lazuli, carnelian and rock crystal were held in very high regard because of their gorgeous colors.Stones were carved into insects, scarabs and other natural icons, and different coloredstones were assigned specific meanings.  Birthstones have their origin in Egyptian jewelry and were used to enhance an individual's well-being.  Each of the twelve months of the year was assigned a gemstone or crystal.  Different gemstones were also associated with each of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Mesopotamian

 Jewelry from this culture had its origin in ancient Babylon. In that culture men and women both wore extensive amounts of jewelry. Their jewelry was made from hammered gold and semiprecious gemstones such as agate, jasper, lapis-lazuli and carnelian.  The Mesopotamians founded the art of gemstone carving known as glyptic art.  Their jewelry featured cloisonne, filigree and engraving.  They employed natural, and most often,  agricultural themes in their designs using images such as leaves, bunches of grapes, and corn to name a few.

Roman

 The Romans wore necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  Jewelry in their culture was used to signify social standing, so upper-class Roman women wore lots of jewelry.  Their jewelry designs incorporated glass beads or pearls most often set in bronze. They too employed themes from nature in their designs.  The Romans originated the gold coiled snake bracelet.

Edwardian

 The Edwardian period (1900-1910) in jewelry coincided with the Art Nouveau movement.  Edwardian jewelry included intricate filigree work inset with diamonds, colored gemstones or pearls.  Popular themes in Edwardian designs were drawn from nature as well as fantasy. Exotic floral motifs of the era included animals, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, peacock feathers, fairies, mermaids and nymphs.  Lavaliere (the original name for chocker Y necklaces) and sautoir (called lariat now) necklaces were very popular. The Arts and Crafts movement also influenced Edwardian jewelry.  With regard to semi-precious gemstones, cabochons were preferred to faceting.  Silver also was more popular than gold.  Jewelry also was increasingly made from copper and brass.

Art Nouveau

 Art Nouveau designs were curvy, fluid and, at times, risque because they often featured female nudes along with plants and crescents.  Art Nouveau designs were considered very "avante garde" at that time.  Common materials incorporated in Art Nouveau jewelry included horn, amber, ivory, blister pearls, semi-precious gemstones and glass.  Enamels used in cloisonne also added color to jewelry during this period. Themes from nature were dominant and icons such as butterflies, swans, dragons, bees, owls, peacocks, flowers and fantasy creatures.  Japanese influence came in the form of jewel-toned enamels used in cloisonne pieces.

Art Deco

 Older art and design influences continued into the Art Deco period.  But newer, mass production techniques also are reflected in Art Deco jewelry designs.  Modernist movements in the graphic arts, architecture, and industrial design, such as cubism and futurism, also influenced Art Deco jewelry.  These influences gave it a geometric and, at times, architectural appearance, which makes Art Deco jewelry easily identifiable.  African tribal and Egyptian jewelry influences also can be seen in Art Deco designs. The most common materials that Art Deco designers used in their work include horn bone, Czech glass, precious and semi-precious gemstones as well as yellow and white gold and platinum.  Bakelite, a forerunner of modern plastics, was frequently used in Art Deco costume jewelry.

The influence of geometric forms is also evident in the shapes of the precious and semi-precious gemstones incorporated into Art Deco designs.  These shapes include the rectangular emerald cut, the pentagon and the trapezoid.  In addition to precious gemstones such as emeralds, rubies and gemstones, most Art Deco designers used semi-precious gemstones like onyx, coral and rock crystal.  The combination of precious and semi-precious stones in a single piece made Art Deco designs truly unique. Art Deco designers favorite semi-precious stones included carnelian, chrysoprase, jade, amber, mother-of-pearl, rock crystals and onyx. In terms of color, Art Deco jewelry was extremely colorful, featuring bold, high contrast tones.  Often Art Deco pieces featured just two contrasting dark and light colors, many times simply black and white.

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