What exactly is antique jewellery? You could say- jewellery which is at least a hundred years old. But more recent definitions put jewellery75 years old or even 50 years old under the label antique. This was the period when the industrial age was at its infancy. Technology was in gestation. Art had rich patrons willing to pay for the most unique works of art. People had the time to create and enjoy their crafts. Mass production was practically unheard of. Naturally, the jewellery of this period is of exquisite and unparalleled beauty.
Here are some of the types of jewellery that were crafted with the kind of skill and patience that is mind-boggling. The making of these were almost always labor intensive.The Napoleonic wars were chiefly funded by people’s jewellery and tableware. With all their exquisite baubles gone to fund a cause they believed in, people turned to cheaper alternatives like Berlin iron and steel for adornments.