How do I care for silver and enamel jewellery?

Clean sterling silver components gently with a soft cloth to preserve any patination or hand-beaten texture. Avoid liquid dips, as chemical cleaners can damage enamel panels or soften organic stones like pearls. Store pieces individually in soft pouches to prevent scratching between items. Keep enamelled works away from prolonged direct sunlight and moisture to maintain the integrity of the glasswork.

How can I tell Arts and Crafts jewellery apart from Art Nouveau?

Arts and Crafts pieces tend to emphasise visible handcraftsmanship, simple structural forms, and motifs drawn from nature or medieval traditions. Silver is often left with a hammered or matte finish to highlight the work of the maker's hand. Art Nouveau designs focus instead on fluid, asymmetrical, whiplash lines and sinuous floral curves. Pendants and brooches from this movement frequently incorporate translucent enamel techniques like plique-a-jour.

Were these pieces made by hand?

Most items reflect a hybrid of hand-wrought techniques and small-scale workshop production. Silversmiths hammered, sawed, and riveted metal by hand, while certain components like wire or standard chain links might have utilised basic machinery. Signed or attributed works often display individual artistic signatures in the tool marks and bezel settings. No two handcrafted pieces are entirely identical.

What stones are typically found in these designs?

Makers favoured semi-precious stones that offered subtle colours and luminous optical effects. Moonstones, opals, and blister pearls are especially common, chosen for their pearlescent play of light against silver. Amethysts, turquoises, citrines, and chalcedonies also appear frequently. These minerals were rarely faceted into brilliant cuts, preferring smooth cabochons instead.

Home > Arts Crafts Silver Jewellery > Page 2

Arts Crafts Silver Jewellery

65 items · page 2 of 5

← Page 2 of 5 →

Arts crafts silver jewellery brings together hand-wrought metal and natural stones, offering collectors tactile pieces of early twentieth-century design.