Jewelry has been a part of the cultures for centuries. Throughout time people mastered, developed, and enriched the style and techniques for making jewellery pieces. 

As one of the countries, France has also left a significant impact on jewelry fashion and its design. And to this day, people adore and value the story and rich style the country left for the generations. With this thought in mind, let's get acquainted with the rich history of how French jewellery has been created.

The birth of fashion jewelry in France

The story begins with the 17th and 18th centuries when luxury and elegance were highly valued by the royal courts of France. During these times jewellery was detailed with diamonds, pearls, and also colored gemstones. It was some sort of identification for people, showcasing their status and social rank. 

The Influence of Napoleon Bonaparte 

French fashion jewellery was highly impacted by Napoleon Bonaparte himself. After his voyage to Egypt, he was highly influenced by ancient Egyptian motifs, leading to the creation of a new style called "Egyptian Revival”. This style of jewellery was expressed with sphinxes, scarabs, and hieroglyphics, reflecting the country's enchantment with exotic cultures.

The Symbolism of Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was one of the earliest ones to value and practice jewelry making. They would use gold, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and other half-precious stones to come up with the most delightful pieces to ever be seen. 

It is also important to note, that these pieces were not only for aesthetic purposes, but they would also hold symbolism in them. For example, amulets, scarabs, and ankhs were known for their protection, life, and eternity. 

The Embrace of Nature: Art Nouveau

This was a start of a new jewelry design, highlighting the beauty of nature. The initiation of this style was brought up by a French jeweler René Lalique. 

The jewelry inspired by this style would include details on it such as flowers, nymph-like figures, delicate curves, and so on.

Art Deco

This style would represent the perfect combination between modernity and glamour. It originated with the use of symmetrical, bold, and colorful designs. Here are some of the influential designers, standing behind this movement.

  • Raymond Templier: born into a family of jewelers, he followed the family business. He was highly influenced by cubism, which would later be reflected in his works. His art would have semi-circles, various inverted triangles, and other geometrical figures.
  • Cartier: Even though Cartier's grandfather was the one inventing Cartier in Paris, it was Louis Cartier who came up with some of the company's most memorable Art Deco pieces. This style later would initiate a rapid cultural change. For Louis, Art Deco was something representing machinery and modernism.
  • Suzanne Belperron: Most of the 20th century's avant-garde jewelry was created by the light touch of Suzanne Belperron and Parisian stone dealer Bernard Herz. She was mostly inspired by anything and everything.

The influence of Avant-Garde

It is also significant to note that this was one of the most rebellious periods of time for jewelry development. This is when the designers started experimenting with new forms and designs. The style was highly inspired by the 1920's Art Deco style. 

Some of the designers like Roger Lucas and Andrew Grima contributed to the Avant-Garde style to get more prominence during the 1950s and 1960s. They added unusual materials to their jewellery making it more fascinating and attractive. The jewelry could be made from plastic, and aluminum, and could include strong colors and geometric designs. 

As time passed, this style continued to expand and get new levels of perfection. During the 1970s and 1980s, some artists started using novel materials like horns, leather, and even bone in their creations. Making them more expressive, daring, and beautiful.

The influence of French fashion jewellery worldwide

Nowadays French fashion jewellery is charming its audiences around the world. Starting from simple designs to eye-catching pieces and unordinary yellow diamond jewelry, that screams Avant-Garde. Here in Yerevan, we also strive to keep the fascination with the rich art going. And keeping this in mind, we created an environment, where every customer can experience and get the French cultural pieces they want. 

Buy jewellery in Armenia that will meet your high standards and expectations. Here at Chronograph, we offer the widest range of jewelry inspired by French style and design, which we talked about above in this blog. From Early French style to Art Deco and Avant-Garde. 

Visit us, and get your piece of perfection!