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Jewellery through the ages

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Can you spot a vintage piece of jewellery? Do you know your 1920s from your 1930s? Take a look at the jewellery fashions from each decade of the 20th century.

Love a bit of vintage jewellery? Or is your collection vintage-inspired?

If an item is older than 20 years, it is genuinely vintage. If it was made less than 20 years ago but uses styles from, say, the 1940s, then it’s vintage-inspired. For jewellery to be considered antique, strictly speaking it should be more than 100 years old.

Check out the jewellery through the decades to discover your style.

By Melanie Hearse

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1900– 1920 S Jewellery from the beginning of this century was one of two styles – Art Nouveau or Edwardian.

Art Nouveau used horn, amber, ivory, glass, blister pearls, and thin layers of enamel that looked like stained glass. The style was influenced by Japanese art, religious imagery, mysticism and eroticism.

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1900– 1920 S Edwardian jewellery was created in delicate filigree, resembling lace made from platinum or white gold.

It was more formal and elegant than Art Nouveau, and often featured diamonds or pearls (or both). In 2012, a platinum pearl and diamond corsage brooch dated circa 1910 sold for $2,042,000 at a Sotheby's auction.

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Think The Great Gatsby, fun, glamour, flappers, jewelled headpieces, strings of pearls, bold geometric styling – the start of the Art Deco era.

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1920 S

Gold and platinum were often set with diamonds, coral, jade, aquamarine, citrine, onyx or opal.

Plastics and bakelite were also in vogue.

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1930 S

Due to the Great Depression, it was all about creating a fabulous look with inexpensive costume jewellery. On trend were bright, highly polished yellow, rose, and green stones, big and bold three- dimensional designs, drop earrings and cuff bracelets.

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Art Deco's strong lines, colour and geometric shapes still influenced designs.

However, by the mid to late 1930s retro jewellery had arrived combining Art Deco with the free-flowing styles of earlier periods.

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During the WWII era, rationing was the norm.

Big or bold jewellery was seen as frivolous.

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Yellow and rose gold pieces ruled, set with small, scarce diamonds or larger, more affordable gems like citrine, amethyst and garnet.

Floral and bow designs were a popular way of expressing femininity.

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Abstract designs were big in the ’50s – organic shapes with jagged edges, animal shapes like panthers, birds and fish with jewelled body parts, starbursts and ‘atomic’ designs reflecting the fascination with space exploration.

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Daytime jewellery was gemless with button earrings a must-have, as well as matching sets – necklace, bracelet, ring and earrings.

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The age of flower power, mods, hippies and Twiggy.

Plastic was big, bright and bold. Key trends were giant animal pendants, coloured balls of Lucite, peace signs, love beads, big hoop earrings, ball-drop earrings and bright plastic bangles.

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Monochrome and neon were also huge with black and white worn next to hot oranges, pinks and yellows.

Layered flapper-length beads and multi-strand necklaces were also popular.

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With long dangling earrings, attentiongrabbing pendants and chunky gold bracelets, the ’70s were about statement pieces. In the late ’70s, discoinspired jewellery such as thin belly chains and glittery chokers with gems hit the dance floor.

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’60s neon made way for deeper colours – olive green, burnt orange, brown, cream and yellow.

Ethnic-inspired bohemian endured. Natural materials including wood, shell and bone, and interesting stones like blue lapis lazuli and green jade were popular materials.

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Along with power dressing and shoulder pads, the ’80s were about big, bold jewellery. The rich and famous wore oversized pieces. Costume jewellery worked for those on a modest budget.

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Large, heavy gold necklaces, oversized gold hoops, disc earrings and pearl necklaces (real and imitation) were everywhere.

Music icons Madonna and Cyndi Lauper gave us fluorescent plastic bracelets, cut glass and imitation pearls worn in bunches.

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The ’90s saw a rise in piercing and body jewellery became elaborate – rubies in belly buttons, chains running from piercing to piercing, or from a necklace around the waist for the un- pierced. Chokers adorned with gems or pendants were big.

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Mood rings from the ’60s and ’70s had a comeback, as did big gold hoops. The late ’90s also saw the rise of charms from Pandora and those little Tiffany boxes were on every girl's wish list.

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