This Early Art Deco Ring Tells the Story of the Dawn of the Movement
The Art Deco period saw the birth of an entirely new style of jewellery that had a pronounced effect on future eras. In place of the subtler work exemplified by earlier periods, jewellers working between around 1920 and 1935 began to produce radical new pieces which used bold geometric designs.
This ring was created early on, as craftsmen were still getting to grips with the new technologies that would power this exciting new wave in design. In many ways it is exemplary of the period; the face is large and imposing, containing four large old cut diamonds wreathed in 18 smaller stones, all of which are set in a masterfully crafted platinum gallery. However, there are some features which make this ring completely unique.
Where most Art Deco pieces used clean lines and stark shapes, echoing the increasing industrialisation that was occurring across all aspects of design at the time, this ring has retained some of the soft curvature that was popular in earlier eras.
The jeweller has chosen to pay tribute to the techniques of their predecessors, whilst incorporating aspects of the style of their day. In this way the ring can be seen as a homage to earlier works – taking what was once the standard and infusing new elements to bring the two disparate styles into perfect synergy.
The piece represents a fusion of old and new, and it is not intended to be subtle. The curved gallery flows into the engraving that wraps around the shank, forming elaborate swirls that continue past the impressive array of stones at the front. No part of the ring has been allowed to remain plain or unadorned. The intricate metalwork echoes the hundreds of diamond facets, creating a web of smaller sparkles which create constellations of sparkles with only the slightest movement.
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