Art Nouveau design was first developed in France during the era called "La Belle Epoche" (The Beautiful Time). Coinciding with the Victorian era, it's a style intended as a statement against the industrialization of jewelry making. Designs are curvy, fluid; often of nude female figures, heads, insects, crescents & common plants. The designs were sometimes intended to evoke mystical symbolism. Jewelry of this era was considered very avant garde for the time & it took a bold person who dared to wear it.

Actresses, such as Sarah Bernhardt, were both inspirations for the designs as well as customers of the jewelry. Gems used were often paired with more unusual materials such as horn, amber, ivory, and blister pearls. It was the artistry of the piece that was most important - the materials used were secondary. Many of the plants and animals used in these designs had been considered too "common" to be used in jewelry before. Now, ordinary, everyday items were celebrated for their beauty and stylistic elements.

The art of Japan was a new and exciting influence on Art Nouveau with the "opening" of Japan to the West in 1853. Up until this time, it had virtually been a closed society and society was fascinated by examples of designs and goods from this mysterious and exotic country. Scenes of nature, done in this style with it's simplicity and understatement, made a major impact on European arts and designs. The beautiful jewel-toned enamels, widely used in Japan for centuries, were now duplicated in Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts designs.

One of the most important enameling techniques was "Plique A'Jour". This technique creates jewelry with thin layers of enamel that look like stained glass. Delicate and fragile, these pieces are expensive and rare. Some of the most amazing jewelry masterpieces incorporating this technique were created by a giant of Art Nouveau style - Rene Lalique. His jewelry, while using typical materials of the style; horn, glass, semi-precious stones, were the highest expression of this art form.

Other famous makers from the era are Karl Faberge, George Fouquet, and Louis Tiffany. Of course, their work, along with Lalique's is the rarest of the rare. Most of their antique pieces can only seen in museums, although new jewelry pieces are still being made under company names that are still doing business.

Major makers of Silver pieces in Art Nouveau style were William Kerr and the Unger Brothers. Their work usually incorporates repousse work within the piece's design, beautifully finished and ornate.

Fashions come and go, of course and by 1915 this style was no longer being produced. Once considered so scandalous and racy, Art Nouveau style was considered old-fashioned and "ugly". Owners of pieces packed them away or, more horrifyingly, altered or scrapped them.

Lots of reproductions in Art Nouveau style are available. So look at a piece closely, front and back. Reproductions are also being made of Plique A'Jour jewelry available in a wide range of price and quality. Some are finely made using gems and techniques that so closely replicate antiques they can be difficult to tell apart. Study both old and new pieces closely (along with books) to train your eye to spot the differences.