Flapper Jewelry

Flapper jewelry dates to the 1920's when young women known as "flappers" were all the rage.   They represented a new fancy-free woman who dressed in uncorseted fashions, bobbed hair, and kohl-lined their eyes.    Flappers wore mainly art-deco style (see previous posts for a complete definition of this style).   Many jewelry artists still use this style of jewelry to create wonderful pieces designed with colorful beads of glass and/or plastic in round or geometric shapes.   A main characteristic of this type of necklace is its length, which tends to be at least 36 inches and can be as long as 60 inches.    These necklaces were designed to wrap around the neck several times in long drapes.   When the flappers would dance, these necklaces would be dancing with them!    This jewelry has a timeless quality that still attracts jewelry buyers today.    Why don't you try your hand and experiment with some flapper-style necklaces?    There is no right or wrong way to make them and the only limits are your own imagination!

Here are some beautiful samples of flapper-style necklaces which are handmade by Etsy artisans.

A lovely red and yellow combination necklace by Etsy seller Alfadesigns:

A real vintage piece made with plastic Lucite, by Etsy seller Talkingfashionnet:

And finally a gorgeous combination of glass and plastic beads by Etsy seller luvintage:

What Is Art Deco Jewelry?

The art and design style that first developed in France in the 1920s and flourished internationally in the 1930s and 1940s became known as Art Deco.  Art Deco design combines geometric shapes and bold intense colors, along with symbols, such as arrows, cars, planes (representing speed and technology).  The discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1923 also figures into many art deco themes, with motifs such as the sphinx, scarab and falcon appearing in jewelry designs, as well as popular semi-precious gemstones of this period such as lapis lazuli, carnelian, chalcedony and jade (see 1st picture below).  Gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds (see 2nd picture below) were also used by the fine jewelry houses such as Tiffany, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.  Art Deco design has a symmetrical modern look which is very popular today with collectors, who prefer original vintage pieces to reproductions.  Materials such as aluminum, steel, Bakelite, chrome and plastics are frequently used in art deco designs, reflecting the embrace of modern materials and new technologies of this amazing era.