Guest Author - Susan Dorling

Vintage Retro Jewelry denotes the era of the 1930's and the 1940’s, a period during which war slowed down jewelry production. As the 1930’s progressed, precious metals were rare and palladium was used extensively. Gold was very scarce and platinum almost unobtainable. Copper also replaced nickel, which needed to be used in the making of arms. Copper was also used with gold, producing ‘rose gold’. Hollow settings were used as well to conserve metal. Popular gemstones of the period included citrine, aquamarine, amethyst, topaz, pearls, and quartz. The transition from the opulent jewelry of the early thirties into the next decade was represented by smaller semi-precious stones in jewelry.

Many jewelry craftsmen went off to war and jewelry was relatively unavailable. However, one’s jewelry became a valuable source of portable capital, as it always does in times of economic instability.

Collecting Vintage Retro Jewelry is a recent phenomenon which began in Italy, France, and the USA in the early 1980's and is now popular in Europe. The bold, chunky styles of the 1940's were well suited to the women who had taken over jobs left by men called to arms, and complemented their tailored suits, knee-length skirts, and comfortable shoes.

Here's some examples of Vintage Retro Jewelry:

This unusual vintage seed pearl floral pin is constructed in 18k green, yellow and rose gold, The seed-pearls are cradled within the scallop-edged, textured rose-gold flower with life-like green-gold leaf-silhouettes connected to a botanically-inspired, reeded, yellow-gold stem. This flamboyant vintage pin is representative of the extravagance of the early 1950’s period.

This vintage gold bangle bracelet with pearls has been inspired by Etruscan jewelry. This 1930's vintage 14k yellow gold bracelet features a pair of shell-inspired plaques in repousse gold with two round cultured cream colored pearls.
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Article Reference: FayCullen.com Please note that items shown above may or may not be available when you visit FayCullen.com, but are representative of the fine quality Antique, Vintage, and Estate Jewelry at FayCullen.com.