Vintage French Jewellery
Vintage french jewellery spans intricate gold religious medals and gem-set rings from periods like Art Deco and the nineteenth century.
Vintage French Jewellery
Vintage french jewellery encompasses wearable ornaments and personal items such as rings, pendants, charms, earrings, and necklaces.
Pieces frequently stem from twentieth-century periods including Art Nouveau and Art Deco, alongside nineteenth-century and Victorian origins.
Selection on this page centres on gold pendants, diamond rings, and religious medals alongside larger decorative boxes.
Materials and construction
Craftsmen utilised 18K yellow gold, white gold, and platinum as foundations for gemstone settings and delicate metalwork.
Decorative elements incorporate diamonds, sapphires, rubies, garnets, pearls, glass, mother-of-pearl, and enamel techniques like plique-à-jour.
Listings include items from the 19th Century, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco periods.
Distinctions in quality
Quality rests upon the precision of metalwork, such as fine wire frames and detailed engravings on religious medals.
The choice and cut of gemstones, from old-cut diamonds to natural emeralds and sapphires, define the upper tier of pieces.
Tahan Paris·Argy Rousseau·Susse Freres Paris·François Linke·R Lalique·Paul Brandt·Perroud·Boucheron·Emile Monier
The Vintage French Jewellery Glossary
- Pendant
- A piece of jewellery that hangs from a necklace or chain. These items often take the form of religious medals or charms.
- Art Deco
- A design style from the early twentieth century characterised by geometric lines and modern ornamentation. Rings and pendants frequently display this aesthetic.
- Plique-à-jour
- An enamelling technique where translucent enamel has no backing, letting light shine through like stained glass. This method appears on detailed pendants.
- Navette
- A boat-shaped gemstone setting that tapers to points at both ends. Rings of this form contain diamonds and rubies.
Vintage French Jewellery: Frequently Asked Questions
What periods do these pieces represent?
The items originate from various eras spanning the nineteenth century, Victorian period, Edwardian era, and twentieth-century movements.
Specific decades include the 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, and 1960s.
Which materials are most common?
Gold in 18ct yellow, 18K, and white variants serves as the primary metal for rings and pendants.
Gemstones such as diamonds, sapphires, and pearls frequently accompany enamel and mother-of-pearl.
How were religious medals worn?
Religious medals depicting the Virgin Mary or saints were suspended from chains as charm pendants.
These pieces combine devotional imagery with gold and enamel craftsmanship.
Are storage boxes included?
Certain listings feature related items such as trinket boxes, jewellery caskets, and display tables made of wood and ormolu mounts.
Some pieces retain their original boxes.