Edwardian Jewelry: Platinum, Millegrain and the Garland Style
For about fifteen years jewelry tried to look like lace. It could only try because a new metal had arrived: platinum, strong enough to hold a diamond in a claw so fine it almost disappears. Everything else about the period follows from that one fact.
The Edwardian period is named for Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the style runs a little wider, from about 1895 to the First World War, and in France it is called the Belle Époque. It is the shortest of the major periods and the most internally consistent, which makes it one of the easiest to recognise.
Platinum changes what is possible
Platinum melts at 1768 degrees Celsius. Until oxyacetylene and oxyhydrogen torches became reliable workshop equipment around 1900, it could not be worked at jewelry scale at all. This single technical fact is the most useful dating tool in the whole trade.
Because platinum is dense and strong, a claw can be made much finer than in gold and still hold a stone securely. Metal recedes and the stone dominates. That is what the whole period looks like: diamonds apparently floating in air, with almost no visible mount.
The signatures
Millegrain. A row of minute beads raised along the edge of a setting by running a knurling wheel along the metal. It softens the boundary between metal and stone and catches light. Millegrain is the fingerprint of the period, and how it was made is the clearest test of whether a piece is genuine: worked millegrain is slightly irregular and crisply defined under a loupe, cast reproductions are soft, rounded and identical bead to bead.
The garland style. Bows, ribbons, laurel swags, wreaths and tassels, borrowed wholesale from French eighteenth century decoration. Cartier built its early reputation on it.
Openwork and piercing. Panels pierced right through so light passes behind them, producing the lace effect the period aimed at. The reverse is finished as carefully as the front, because it was expected to be seen against skin or fabric.
Knife-wire. Wire so fine it is almost invisible, used to suspend elements so they appear unsupported. Only possible in platinum.
Pearls with diamonds. Natural pearls were still enormously valuable, and the pearl and diamond combination is the period's most characteristic pairing. Cultured pearls did not arrive commercially until the 1920s.
The stones. Old European cut diamonds, round with small tables, high crowns and open culets. Rose cuts and calibre-cut sapphires appear as accents. Modern brilliants in an Edwardian mount mean the stones were replaced.
The forms
Certain objects are almost specific to the period. Lavaliere necklaces, light pendants with a suspended drop. Negligee pendants with two unequal drops on fine chains. Wide dog collar necklaces, usually of many pearl strands with diamond spacer plaques. Sautoirs, long chains ending in a tassel or pendant. And bar brooches, the everyday jewelry of the period, made in vast numbers.
Telling Edwardian from early Art Deco
The periods touch and the same workshops made both, so the boundary is a style question rather than a technical one. The metals and stones are frequently identical.
| Edwardian | Early Art Deco | |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Curved, floral, soft | Straight, geometric, hard |
| Symmetry | Balanced but organic | Strict, often mirrored |
| Colour | White on white, with pearls | Strong contrast, calibre-cut colour |
| Motif | Bows, garlands, laurel | Steps, chevrons, Egyptian and Asian sources |
| Metal | Platinum, often on gold | Platinum, then white gold |
The reliable rule is that a piece is Edwardian if removing the diamonds would leave a pattern of flowers and ribbons, and Deco if it would leave a diagram.
What to check before buying
- Is the platinum original? Platinum on a gold back, with the gold visible on the reverse, is normal for the earlier part of the period. Solid platinum throughout is later and finer.
- Is the millegrain worked or cast? Under a loupe this decides period versus reproduction faster than anything else.
- Are the stones period? Open culets and small tables. A single replaced stone is common and forgivable; wholly modern stones change what the piece is.
- Has the piercing survived? Fine pierced platinum work cracks, and repairs to it are difficult and visible. Look through the piece against a light.
- Have the pearls been checked? Natural and cultured pearls of similar appearance differ enormously in value, and the difference can only be settled by X-ray at a laboratory. Any seller stating natural without a report is stating an opinion.
What it is worth
Edwardian sits in a slightly awkward position in the market. It is unambiguously antique, the workmanship is often superb, and platinum with old cut diamonds is desirable in itself, yet the style is quieter than Art Deco and attracts less speculative interest. In practice this means good Edwardian work is frequently better value than equivalent Deco, and buyers who like the look are rewarded for it.
Value concentrates in condition of the piercing, quality and originality of the stones, and whether the piece is signed by a house of the period. See what is my antique jewelry worth.
Frequently asked questions
What years are Edwardian jewelry?
Formally 1901 to 1910, the reign of Edward VII, but the style is generally dated from about 1895 to 1915, and the equivalent French period is called the Belle Époque.
How can I tell if a piece is Edwardian?
Look for platinum, millegrain beading along the edges of settings, pierced openwork finished on both sides, old European cut diamonds with open culets, and motifs of bows, garlands and laurel. Platinum alone rules out anything Victorian.
What is millegrain?
A row of tiny raised beads worked along the edge of a setting with a knurling wheel, used to soften the join between metal and stone. It is characteristic of Edwardian and early Art Deco platinum work.
Why is Edwardian jewelry mostly white?
Because platinum had just become workable and the period's whole aesthetic was built on making the metal disappear behind the stone. White metal against white diamonds and pearls produces the lace-like effect the style was after.
Can Edwardian jewelry be worn every day?
With caution. Fine pierced platinum and knife-wire construction were designed for occasional wear. They survive daily wear poorly, and repairs to fine piercing are difficult, expensive and often visible.