subject: Art Deco Diamond Rings - Art Deco Diamond Designs [print this page] As a reaction to Art Nouveau, the movement of the Art Deco pushed the envelope toward a more decorative era by the 1930s. Featuring a simpler yet bolder approach, this time gave birth to diamond rings in high profile styles.
Art Deco jewelry especially the diamond rings flourished during the 1920's up to the Second World War. The peak of this golden age was very visible during the jazz age and most of the roaring parts of the twenties.
The movement moved toward the newer avant garde designs, first used by the Bauhaus school in Germany, along with the French Cubism movement as the inspiration of the design.
Therefore, a new style of jewelry with fast yet still sleek, industrial, more geometric, and particularly severe emerged.
Art Deco jewelry designers from the great houses of Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Tiffany led the pack in creating high profile Art Deco High quality designed diamond rings.
For the first time, the designers confidently used contrasting colors. Diamonds were placed against black onyx and rock crystals were added.
The other obvious design elements in Art Deco diamond rings are the extravagant composition and the harsh severe geometric angles which marked these new designs permanently into the fashion books. Because of these new geometric designs, new cuts of diamonds such as Asscher cuts and emerald cuts emerged and were refined.
Furthermore, the use of baguette cut diamond to accent important diamonds also began in this period.
Sapphires, rubies, and emeralds were designed in traditional manners before but with these Art Deco designs, these gems were carved into flowers and leaves. In fact, the terms tutti Fruitti and fruit salad were derived from the unconventional technique of using these carved colored gems in jewelry pieces. Because of economic reasons, the Art Deco movement faded out during the beginning of the Second World War. Even today, the style of Art Deco diamond rings remained popular over the years.
The most popular Art Deco diamond ring design is the stepped structure of stones cascading from the center stone.
Old mine-cut diamonds and European-cut diamonds remained famous. These diamonds were mounted in platinum engagement rings along with turquoise, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires in stunning colors.
Sometimes, coral, black onyx, and other rock crystals are also used with diamonds. With the modern times, however, the use of contrasting colors was eliminated and more attention was given to the platinum and diamonds for more sophisticated appeal. Of course, the Art Deco character of strong use of symmetry and the bold stylized geometric shapes is still there.
