Vintage Jewelry
Vintage High Jewelry combines exceptional gemstones, supreme craftsmanship, and timeless design. From iconic diamond pieces to rare creations with sapphires, emeralds, or onyx, each treasure tells its own story and reflects the elegance of bygone eras.
Inspiration & Background
Vintage high jewelry fascinates with something that is becoming increasingly rare today: exceptional and unique gemstones with character, history, and individuality. Many of the stones used in historical jewelry come from mines or sources that are now exhausted or only produce very limited high-quality gems. It is precisely this rarity that makes vintage high jewelry so special: Each piece becomes a unique testament to the finest craftsmanship and is difficult to duplicate due to the limited availability of the gemstones.
The Technology Behind High Jewelry
At the heart of high jewelry art is not only the beauty of the gemstones, but also the art of showcasing them perfectly. In "gem setting," each stone is individually set to best accentuate its light, color, and proportions. This can be done through delicate pavé settings, invisible settings, or elaborately crafted prong settings. The type of craftsmanship determines how vibrant and radiant a piece of jewelry appears.
Gemstones & Materials
This craftsmanship is particularly impressive in vintage high jewelry due to the variety and uniqueness of the gemstones and materials used. Diamonds have always played a central role. They are complemented by intensely luminous sapphires, peridots with their characteristic green, or rubies, emeralds, and onyxes, which are constantly found in extraordinary combinations. In addition to their color, these gemstones differ primarily in their rarity, hardness, light reflection, transparency, and character. These very properties influence how a stone appears, how it can be processed, and why certain stones are particularly valued.
- Diamonds are considered the hardest gemstones in the world and are known for their exceptional brilliance and light reflection. Their hardness makes them particularly suitable for fine, precise settings and complex designs.
- Sapphires are characterized by their high hardness and intense color depth. They often have a velvety luminosity and are considered particularly durable and elegant. Although they are best known for their deep blue, sapphires also come in many other colors such as pink, yellow, green, orange, purple, or colorless.
- Rubies belong to the same mineral family as sapphires but are significantly rarer, especially in high quality. They are loved for their strong red luminosity and their intense, almost glowing effect.
- Emeralds are primarily known for their intense green color, which can range from light nuances to deep, rich green tones. This color intensity and depth give each emerald a unique character and a lively, almost natural radiance. Since emeralds have natural inclusions, each stone is unique. It is precisely these small "imperfections" that make high-quality emeralds unique.
- Peridots possess an exceptionally clear and fresh luminosity. Unlike many other gemstones, they retain their characteristic color in both daylight and artificial light. Their vibrant green is typical, which, depending on the stone, can range from yellowish-green to intense olive or lime green nuances.
- Onyx is valued less for its brilliance and more for its deep, rich color effect and strong contrast. Especially in Art Deco jewelry, onyx was frequently used to create graphic and elegant designs.
