Georgian jewellery
Georgian jewellery belongs to time of the four King Georges ruled Great Britain. The early 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century belong to Georgian jewellery. During the early Georgian period (George I, 1714-1727), the French Rococo style dominated the arts. Like in the Victorian period, there wasn’t a specific individual British style of jewellery during this period,. The jewellery of this period consisted largely of nature pieces, including designs with birds, flowers, leaves, insects, and feathers. They were delicate and light, and many were set on a spring so that they trembled. Those pieces set with precious gemstones were very unique-they were entirely handmade. Most pieces were encrusted with gemstones, and the type of metal used to create pieces was of secondary importance. The most popular motifs of this time for diamonds were baskets of flowers, spurts of foliage, and feather plumes. less precious gemstone, using coral, garnets, turquoise, and even paste, were produced in large quantities, during the Georgian period, jewellery.
Jewelry made during the reigns of George I to George IV. They have these characteristic features:
- All jewelry was totally hand made.
- The motifs are cameos, intaglios, mosaics, acorns, Greek keys, urns, doves, wheat, plumage. Bows, floral sprays, hearts, ribbon, birds and stars, featuring garnet , and pearls and diamonds
- Styles range from Rococo to Gothic and Neoclassical.
- Large jewelry in the form of bracelets, index finger rings, girandole earrings, memorabilia jewelry, crosses, hair combs, buckles, aigrettes, and tiaras were favored in Georgian times. Dog collars or chokers as we call them today were popular in the period 1770 to 1790Georgian – 1714 – 1836
