The Most Ornate Art Nouveau Jewelry to Add to a Collection

Our new column “One Fine Detail” showcases the best of wedding jewelry, with stories about stunning engagement rings, sentimental family heirlooms, and all the beautiful pieces that help to add a little sparkle to your special day.

A precedent for the Art Deco movement, the Art Nouveau period of design was brief (it spanned from the 1890s to the early 1910s) and was characterized by undulating lines and soft curves with natural motifs such as plants, flowers, birds, animals, and the female body featured as the cornerstone of design. The stylized movement, which extended to jewelry, found stones such as agate, garnet, and opal as the pet gems of the period, while techniques like enameling reigned supreme.

Another hallmark of the era when it came to jewelry design were long necklaces punctuated with stained glass, pearls, and of course, pendants, as ornamental detailing. During this highly influential, yet short-lived aesthetic movement, illustrative details reigned supreme, with Rene Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany emerging as the popular names of the era. And though the movement is long over, over a century later, design has once again turned back to Art Nouveau, with jewelry of the era becoming increasingly popular with collectors and even brides. From stunning engagement rings to ornate bracelets, pins, and cufflinks, here are some of the best art nouveau jewelry pieces (mostly vintage) to wear for a wedding, or add to your collection.