Jewelry design is always closely related to the humanistic and artistic historical background of a particular era, and changes with the development of science and technology and culture and art. For example, the history of Western art occupies an important position in the Byzantine, Baroque, Rococo style.
Byzantine jewelry style
Characteristics: openwork gold and silver inlays, polished gemstones, with a strong religious coloring.
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was known for its large-scale trade in precious metals and stones. From the fourth to the fifteenth centuries, Byzantium possessed immense imperial wealth, and its ever-expanding international trade network gave Byzantine jewelers unprecedented access to gold and precious stones.
At the same time, the jewelry processing technology of the Eastern Roman Empire also reached unprecedented heights. Artistic style inherited from Rome. In the late Roman Empire, new varieties of colored jewelry began to appear, the importance of gemstone decoration began to exceed that of gold, and at the same time, ebonite silver was also widely used.
Gold and silver skeletonization is one of the important features of Byzantine jewelry. One of the most famous gold processing techniques in Byzantium was called opusinterrasile, which was to skeletonize gold in order to create delicate and detailed patterns with a strong relief effect, a technique that was popular for a long time from the third century AD.
In the 10th century AD, the technique of burin enameling was developed. Byzantine jewelry brought the application of this technique, which involves burring a recessed pattern directly into the metal tire, pouring enamel into it to make the image stand out on the metal, and eliminating the use of fully enameled backgrounds, to its zenith.
Large colored jewels set. Byzantine gemstone work featured polished, semi-circularly curved, flat-backed stones (cabochons) set in hollowed-out gold, with light penetrating through the semi-circularly curved stones to bring out the colors of the stones, and the overall crystal clarity of the stones, in a sophisticated and luxurious style.
With a strong religious color. Because the Byzantine art style originated from Christianity, so the cross or have a spiritual animal can be common in Byzantine style jewelry.
Baroque period jewelry style
Characteristics: majestic, vibrant, strong and exuberant, while overflowing with solemnity and nobility, luxury and grandeur
The Baroque style, which began in France during the period of Louis XIV, is stately and magnificent. At that time, it was in the period of the development of natural science and the exploration of the new world, the rise of the European middle class, the strengthening of the central monarchy, and the struggle of the Reformation movement. The most representative design of Baroque jewelry is the Sévigné bowknot, the earliest bowknot jewelry, born in the mid-17th century. The French writer Madame de Sévigné (1626-96) made this type of jewelry popular.
The necklace pictured above demonstrates enameling, a common process in Baroque jewelry. The firing of different colors of enamel on gold began in the early 17th century as a technical innovation by a jeweler named Jean Toutin (1578-1644).
The baroque style of jewelry often has a strong agora aesthetic, which is not unrelated to the extensive use of enamel. This was when dainty enamel could always be found on both the front and the back of the jewelry.
This colorful technique is particularly suited to the expression of flowers, and throughout the 17th century, there was a flower that absolutely made the whole of Europe blood boil and remember. Originally from Holland, this flower was a revelation in France: the tulip.
In the 17th century, the tulip was a symbol of high society, and at its most expensive, a tulip bulb could be exchanged for an entire villa.
This price is certainly inflated, we now have a term to describe this situation, called the bubble, is a bubble, will certainly burst. Soon after the bubble was broken, the price of tulip bulbs began to garlic, known as the “tulip bubble”.
In any case, tulips have become the star of the baroque jewelry.
With regard to the setting, this was still a time when diamonds were set in gold, and don't underestimate the metal used for setting diamonds, because by the 18th century gold set diamonds were becoming less and less common in Rococo style jewelry.
Jewelry of this time a large number of table cut diamonds, that is, the octahedral diamond raw stone cut off a tip, is a very primitive diamond faceted.
So a lot of baroque jewelry when you look at the photo will find that the diamond looks black, in fact, not the color of the diamond itself, but because the facets are too few, from the front of the diamond into the light can not be through the content of the facets of the multiple refraction from the front reflected back. So then the painting can also see a lot of “black” diamonds, the reason is similar.
In the craft of jewelry style, Baroque presents the following characteristics: majestic, vibrant, strong run, while overflowing with luxury and solemn nobility, less with religious nature. Focus on the external form of performance, emphasizing the form of change and atmosphere of the rendering.
In the late period, the style of the work is more inclined to pompous, vulgar and colorful, and began to ignore the content of the in-depth portrayal and delicate performance. The late Baroque style has revealed the Rococo style in some aspects.
Rococo jewelry style
Characteristics: femininity, asymmetry, softness, lightness, delicacy, delicacy and complexity, “C”-shaped, “S”-shaped curves.
Characteristics: femininity, asymmetry, softness, lightness, delicacy, delicacy and complexity, “C”-shaped, “S”-shaped curves.
“Rococo” (Rococo) from the French word rocaille, meaning rock or shell ornaments, and later the word refers to the rock and mussel shell decorations as its characteristics of the art style. If the Baroque style is like a man, Rococo style is more like a woman.
Queen Marie of France was a great fan of Rococo art and jewelry.
Before King Louis XV, the baroque style was the main theme of the court, it is deep and classical, the atmosphere is majestic, to tell the power of a country. In the middle of the 18th century, France's industry and commerce developed vigorously and became the most advanced country in Europe, except for England. Social and economic conditions and the progress of material life, for the development of rococo laid the foundation, the princes and noblemen of luxury, in all parts of France built a gorgeous palace, and its internal decoration is a reverse of the baroque luxury spectacular, reflecting the characteristics of the court of the feminist rise, that is, focusing on the red tape and exquisite, delicate and beautiful decorative effect. Rococo style is actually the formation of Baroque style deliberately modified to the extreme inevitable result.
King Louis XV succeeded to the throne, in February 1745 one day met with his obsession for more than twenty years of true love - Mrs. Pompadour, it is this Mrs. Pompadour opened the Rococo style of a new era.
Rococo jewelry style is characterized by: slender, light, gorgeous and elaborate decorative, more C-shaped, S-shaped and scroll-shaped curves and bright colors for decorative composition.
Rococo Art Deco draws a lot of Chinese decorative style, the French from China's very soft curves, Chinese porcelain and tables and chairs and cabinets to get inspiration.
Patterns were no longer dominated by idols, religious and regal symbols, but by asymmetrical natural elements such as leaves, wreaths and vines.
The formation of the Rococo style is actually the Baroque style deliberately modified to the extreme inevitable result. Want to know more about the rococo jewelry style and art style friends, recommended to see a representative film “The Greatest Showman”. The whole film from jewelry to dress to interior decoration are highly show the characteristics and charm of rococo style.
Rococo style jewelry is made with a large number of rose cut diamonds, characterized by a flat base and triangular facets.
This faceted style remained in vogue until around the 1820s, when it was replaced by the old mine cut, but never completely disappeared, and even enjoyed a revival in the 1920s, more than 100 years later.
The jewelry industry was hit hard by the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789. Then a small man from Sicily became Emperor of France, and that was Napoleon. He crazily yearned for the former glory of the Roman Empire, and the feminized rococo style gradually withdrew from the stage of history.
Above several mysterious and gorgeous jewelry style, they have different styles, but also let a person feel either one or the other, especially Baroque and Rococo - Baroque court, Rococo gorgeous. But in any case, their artistic style, have had a profound impact on the designers since then.
Post time: Dec-03-2024