Necklaces are worn by women matching to their costume hence these necklace designs are designed in the pattern so that it get along with any dress. Besides the necklace design another thing which attracts necklaces are the metal used in it either gold silver copper or the beaded ones. Each stands in its own place of beauty. A few necklaces are made up of base metal which has a matt finish, which looks quite elegant with its own unique design engraved on it.

Pinchbeck antique jewellery: Copper and zinc were combined to make a cheaper substitute for gold. This type of jewellery went out of vogue after the 1840s. Popularly known as pinch jewellery, they were made with as much care and skill that went into making gold jewellery.

Antique paste jewellery: This style uses faceted glass to resemble precious stones. This technique is the creation of a French Jeweler to the King of France, Georges Frederic Strass. He mixed lead with glass (hence the name paste) to make the glass highly reflective. He mounted this faceted glass in all kinds of intricate settings. It is said that more skill is required to facet paste than to cut diamond – diamond being harder and therefore easier to work with. Usually set in silver, these 18th centaury jewels boast stones in a wide range of lovely colors, shades and shapes. A wide variety of articles including intricate tiaras were made using this technique.

Micro mosaic antique jewellery: The origin of micro mosaic has been traced back to the times of Caesar. Glass to which metal oxides have been added to give color was first heated. This was then pulled into strands. The strands were cut into small pieces called ‘tesserae’ or mosaic. The mosaic pieces were so small that they are barely visible without magnification. Different colored mosaics were used to make images, portraits. These were then set in jewellery. The Italian masters of this craft were known to create scenes with as many as 14,000 mosaics per square inch. The dawn of the industrial age also brought about the demise of this wonderful craft. The mosaics used in the scenes became larger and the finishing cruder.

Victorian Essex Crystal jewellery: Rock Crystal was cut so that it has a flat back and a rounded and smooth front. The back of the crystal rock was then carefully carved out in the desired form. The depressions were then painted in detail. The designs generally used were animal motifs and hunting scenes. The intricacy of the work depended on the skill level of the artist. Mother of pearl was used as base. The finished products are almost life – like. Some of the pieces were quite massive while others delicate. They were usually mounted on cufflinks, bracelets, pendants etc. Given the whimsical ways of dame, imitations crept in and popularity waned. The skill also slowly died because of the high cost of this labor intensive technique. Today they have become collectibles.

The Berlin iron antique jewellery: These are typically chunky with a coal black surface. They are characterized by intricate lacy and very delicate designs. They are a rarity and have become collectibles.
Cut steel antique jewellery: Cut steel was faceted and made into beads to imitate diamonds. The beads were then set into desired designs. This was alluring. At certain angles steel caught light and gave a remarkably brilliant shimmer. As they imitated diamonds, they served a similar purpose. They were used to grace shoe buckles, hair ornaments, necklaces, bracelets etc. This style was popular through the 18th and 19th centuries. Dame fashion however turned her back on these in the 20th century. The earlier pieces are more priced because of the better quality of workmanship.
There were other types that were labor intensive and more expensive. The Victorian Essex Crystal jewellery being a case in point.

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.