At Friar House we specialise in jewellery from the Art Deco period, but we regularly have pieces from earlier and later eras as well. If you are new to antique jewellery, understanding the key periods can help you narrow down your style — or simply appreciate what you are looking at. Here is a brief guide to each era and how they differ from one another.
Georgian Jewellery (1714 to 1830)
Georgian jewellery spans more than a century of history and is characterised by extraordinary intricate craftsmanship. Makers of the period employed techniques such as enamelling and frequently drew on nature for inspiration — flowers, leaves, and romantic motifs are common. Due to its great age, genuine Georgian jewellery is now exceptionally rare and commands a correspondingly high price. It is a collector's category above all else, but for those who appreciate the finest antique craftsmanship, there is nothing quite like it.
Victorian Jewellery (1837 to 1901)
Spanning the reign of Queen Victoria, Victorian jewellery is ornate, deeply symbolic and crafted to an exceptional standard. Gold was the dominant metal, often alloyed to create rose gold or to improve durability. The early Victorian "Romantic Period" saw a fashion for jewellery with amorous themes — including acrostic pieces where the first letter of each gemstone spelled a word, such as ADORE (Amethyst, Diamond, Opal, Ruby, Emerald). Nature was a constant source of motifs: birds, flowers, and serpents all featured prominently. (Prince Albert famously gave Queen Victoria a serpent ring on their engagement.)
Towards the end of the Victorian era, advances in gold alloying produced lighter, more delicate pieces with an almost artistic quality. Many Victorian pieces have survived in excellent condition and make wonderful jewellery today, though they are perhaps better suited to occasional rather than daily wear.
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Edwardian Jewellery (1901 to 1910)
Edwardian jewellery coincides with the reign of King Edward VII and represents a shift towards delicate, intricate designs influenced by the Art Nouveau movement. Platinum became widely used during this period, prized for its strength and its ability to hold extremely fine, lace-like filigree work. Diamonds were the dominant stone, frequently set alongside pearls and coloured gems.
Open settings — which allowed light to pass through and around stones — became a hallmark of the era, dramatically enhancing the brilliance of the jewels. Floral motifs, bows and ribbons were fashionable, often designed to complement the high-necked dresses and elaborate hairstyles of the time. Edwardian jewellery is elegant, refined, and entirely wearable today.
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Art Deco Jewellery (1920s and 1930s)
The Art Deco movement takes its name from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. Moving decisively away from the nature-inspired organic forms of the preceding periods, Art Deco embraced bold geometric shapes, vibrant colour combinations and a spirit of glamour and modernity that reflected the Jazz Age and a broader cultural fascination with the exotic.
Platinum continued to be used, enabling intricate designs and settings. Diamonds were paired with coloured gemstones — emeralds, sapphires, rubies — as well as with onyx, jade and enamel to create striking visual contrasts. New cutting styles emerged, including the "illusion" setting, which placed a square bezel around a round European cut diamond to create the appearance of a square stone. Stepped diamond shoulders became a signature feature of Art Deco rings. Egyptian and Oriental motifs were enormously fashionable, particularly following the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922.
Art Deco is our most popular era at Friar House, and it is easy to see why — the style feels as fresh and contemporary today as it did a century ago.
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Vintage and Mid-Century Jewellery (1940s to 1960s)
Vintage and mid-century jewellery marks a bold departure from the ornate styles that came before. Embracing modernism and playful aesthetics, pieces from this era feature clean lines, geometric shapes and organic forms, often set with vibrantly coloured stones that gave the jewellery a fresh, youthful energy.
Post-war optimism and the rise of Hollywood glamour had a significant influence on the jewellery of the period — stars like Marilyn Monroe helped popularise statement pieces that were as much about personality as precious stones. At Friar House we love this spirit, and you will often find fabulous vintage dress rings alongside our Art Deco pieces. Rings from this era work wonderfully as engagement or dress rings, and each one reflects a particular moment in time.