Antique jewelry glossary

Welcome to our extensive antique jewelry glossary with around 1,500 jewelry related entries.If you feel you are missing an explanation, feel free to let us know and we will add it.

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Eclecticisme
1830-1880

From circa 1830 the neo-styles followed each other:

• Neo-gothic with artists like Froment-Meurice
• Neo-Renaissance
• Neo-Etruscan with artists like Castellani and Guiliano
• Neo-Moor (inspired by the algerian war in 1840, which reached its zenith at the end of the war in 1860)
• Neo-Assyrian (caused by the publication of Sir Henry Layards 'Nineveh and its remains' and the world exhibition in London in 1851 where the fruits of many national industries were on show)
• Neo-Egyptian (associated with the opening of the suez canal in 1869)
• Neo-Indian (inspired by the crowning of Queen Victoria to Empress of India)

There was another revival of the Neo-Egyptian in 1922 that coincides with the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamon. This revival was actually defined more in the Art-Deco style.

In a word the 19th Century was not very exiting from a design point of view. Towards the end of the century this became worse and even less defined with a variety styles mixed up all together. This was called eclectisism and for a long time was belittled. Lately however some people have started considering these as collectors items.