What is Art Nouveau Jewelry?

The Art Nouveau period encompassed the years from about 1890 to 1915.   It is an international movement encompassing all art forms including architecture, painting, ceramics, glass, and sculpture, as well as jewelry design.    Art Nouveau jewelry raised the bar on jewelers to be accepted as artists and designers, as well as master craftsmen.   Art Nouveau motifs include the use of objects found in nature, curving asymmetrical lines, and female silhouettes with long flowing hair.  Alphonse Mucha, the czech artist, strongly influenced this type of style in many paintings of this period.   Butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles and snakes are also seen prominently in Art Nouveau designs. The French glassware artist and designer René Lalique used many of  these motifs inspired by his love of Japanese art.  Semi-precious stones as well as amber, horn and ivory were used in place of fine jewelry, such as diamonds.   The art of enamelling, such as cloisonné and  plique-à-jour techniques were also used in many designs of the period.   Stones such as moonstone, amethyst, citrine and peridot were also featured in this type of jewelry.