Revival Jewels for the 21st Century Academy Awards and Golden Globes 2016

By Aurelia Turrall

Old is New Again in Jewellery

Jewels from the past took centre stage during this year’s awards season as they were recreated in “new” jewellery designs.

The following slides show the jewels worn by stars at the 2016 Academy Awards and Golden Globes that were influenced by jewellery styles of the past.

Nature is an infinite source of inspiration

Nature has always been the primary source of inspiration for jewellery creations and the primary material used to produce it

Coral Amber Ivory

Early findings

A stone age burial in Brittany dating from 5000-7000 BC shows the skeletons of two women who were buried wearing necklaces made of numerous shells and sea snails

The earliest finding of jewellery was dated around 25,000 years ago. A necklace made of fish bone, found in a cave in Monaco, but they are believed to be as old as 40,000 years old

Timeless bib necklaceBibs come in all shapes and forms and have been made of all sorts of material since necklaces came into existence

Jennifer Lawrence wearing a Chopard necklace from the High Jewelry Collection at the Golden Globes

The necklace is set with 156.77 carats of diamonds and 18 carat white gold

The evolution of the bib necklaceThe collar was a favourite of the gods and the pharaohs and from the Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1543–1292 BC) in Ancient Egypt. They were given to officials, dignitaries and soldiers as a mark or honour. The collars were often made of gold and gemstones.

The Maasai tribe in Kenya articulate their identity and position in society by displaying beadwork, through body paint and ornaments. Currently, dense, opaque glass beads with no surface decoration and a naturally smooth finish are preferred.

Made of precious metals (copper and silver), gemstones (Feldspar, Carnelian, Jasper, Turquoise and Lapis), stone and faience have also been recovered

White beads were made from clay, shells, ivory, or bone. Black and blue beads were made from iron, charcoal, seeds, clay, or horn. Red beads came from seeds, woods, gourds, bone, ivory, copper, or brass.

Gold bibs

Bib necklace made of coins

Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra

Pearl bibs

A pearl and diamond necklace, by Cartier, 1953, Sotheby’s Geneva, 15th Mary 2008, sold CHF 385,000 (£372,000), composed of twelve graduated rows of natural pearls

Classical and Hellenistic revival

Olivia Palermo at the Golden Globes, gold leaf necklace by David Webb

The period from 325 BC until the rise of the Roman empire in 27 BC is called the Hellenistic Period, a time where gold became plentiful again in Greece. Gold mining operations in Thrace initiated by Philip II and Alexander's successful campaigns to the East brought bounties from Persia. The jewellery production from the 3rd century BC remained in tradition with that of the classical period.

Classical period

Naturalistic wreaths emerged over the 5th century BC and became popular during the 4th century BC

Hair ornament in archaeological style, late 19th century

A gold diadem, by Castellani, circa 1870

Castellani, (1814 – 1930), was the Italian jeweller who initiated the archaeological revival movement in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1836, when the Etruscan Regolini-Galassi tombs were opened, papal authorities invited him to study the jewellery there. This is where he got his inspiration from.

Archaeological revival in the late 19th century

A gold necklace of laurel leaves, by Phillips of Cockspur Street, London, circa 1870

Robert Phillips, 1810-1881, created archaeological revival jewellery in London along with John Brodgen

Snake jewels

Jared Leto at the Academy Awards, crystal detail by Gucci

19th century snake jewel

The coiled snake is symbol of eternity and was very popular in the 1840s

The serpent jewel was so popular that models were made with less precious stones such as turquoise and garnets rather than diamonds and rubies, to suit all budgets

We notice a shift in the style around 1875, when the snake becomes a dragon with teeth showing

Bulgari's Serpenti Collection

The Serpenti collection became fashionable in the 1960s with Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra

Bulgari’s Serpenti Collection

Naomi Watts wearing Bulgari ‘Serpenti’

The collection was created in the 1950s

Belle Époque choker, or collier de chien (dog collar)

A Belle Époque pearl and diamond choker, circa 1910, Bonhams NY, 17th June 2008, estimate USD 15,000-20,000

Olivia Wilde at the Academy Awards wearing a diamond and seed pearl chocker

Dog collars and pearl necklaces

Princess Alexandra of Wales

A pearl and diamond choker

The choker or dog collar was perhaps the most characteristic neckwear of this period. Evening dog collars were made of as many as twelve rows of small pearls, set at intervals with diamond bars, diamond plaques of delicate scrollwork design.

The fashion for dog collars and strings of pearls, worn severally, was led by Alexandra, Princess of Wales, who very often wore a pearl choker combined with strings of pearls on her décolletage.

Belle Époque choker

        IMAGE ZOOM

A Belle Époque diamond choker, by Cartier, circa 1905, Sotheby’s Geneva, 13th November 2013, estimate £250,000 - 375,000

Belle Époque floral motifs

Velvet ribbon with a diamond floral plaque

Brie Larson at the Academy Awards wearing Niwaka floral hair ornament

1950s jewellery

Lady Gaga at the Golden Globes in 1950s glamour à la Marilyn Monroe with diamond cuff bracelet and jewels by Neil Lane

1950s Boucheron

A diamond ‘Torsade’ bangle, by Suzanne Belperron, diamonds approximately 20.70 carats total, Estimate: $63,000-94,000

A 1950s sapphire and diamond bangle

1950s scrolls

A diamond double-clip bangle, circa 1950, Bonhams London, sold for £4,500

A diamond double-clip brooch, circa 1950, Bonhams London, £3,000

1950s diamond earhoops

Julianne Moore at the Academy Awards wearing Chopard diamond earrings

A diamond and platinum clip brooch, circa 1950, Bonhams NY, sold for $2,000

1960s

Kerry Washington wearing Harry Winston 1963 three-row diamond drop earrings at the Academy Awards, set with over 40 carats of diamonds, and three-row diamond ring, set with 12.02 carats of diamonds, both set in platinumMatching sets are very much un favour in the 60s and 70s. Cascades of diamonds of cluster design are fashionable and typical of the time. We step away from 1950s scrolls and use of all sorts of cuts to pursue a more traditional design when it comes to high value stones.

Sapphire suite, 1965

A sapphire and diamond necklace and a pair of sapphire and diamond earclips, by Bulgari, circa 1965, Sotheby’s 14th November 2012, sold CHF 482,500 (£342,000)

Sapphire riviere 1960s to today

Tina Fey wearing a sapphire and diamond necklace, by Bulgari at the Academy Awards

1970s Bulgari necklace

Olivia Wilde wears a late 1970s Bulgari necklace with carnelian intaglio and diamonds at the Golden Globes

4th century Etruscan Intaglio ring

1970s Bulgari necklace with ruby and diamond

Towards the end of the1970s the fashion for shorter necklaces comes back as opposed to sautoirs which highlighted frilly blouses. Design is turned toward rigid yellow gold structures, pave-set with diamonds and semi-precious stones, such as the carnelian.

Necklaces overlaid a la Princess of Wales

Jennifer Lopez and Helen Mirren both in Harry Winston jewellery at the Golden Globes, layering diamond necklaces with different cut diamonds, making it fun and modern. JLo also wore a fancy yellow diamond ring and pair of earrings totalling over 200 carats in diamonds.

Even though the necklaces are modern, the style is repeated from the one introduced by Princess Alexandra of Wales

Modern and unique designs are rare

Whoopi Goldberg wearing a pearl and diamond octopus cuff, by Sevan Bicakci at the Academy Awards was the rare celebrity to take a risk with truly unique jewellery

Credits

Wikipedia “Shell Jewelry”PinterestWikipedia “Maasai People”Esty.comMywedding.comCleopatraSotheby’sBonhamsDavid WebbGemobsessed.comAntiques Jewelry UniversityUnderstanding Jewellery, Daniela Mascetti and David BennettUsmagazineDiamondregistry.comPhillips of Cockspur Street, LondonCartier

ForbesChristie’sMauboussinMyciin.comJewelsdujour.tumblr.comChopardHarpersbazaar.comHarry WinstonBulgariWixonjewelers.comPlatinumjewelry.comSevan BicakciInstyleGogmsite.comSuzanne BelperronNiwaka Gucci