Edwardian jewellery gives sparkling return

Delicate, understated and beautifully made Edwardian jewellery is an extremely popular, classic style and one that seems set to remain very fashionable, according to jewellery experts at Phillips and Sotheby's auction houses in London.

Described as "very gentle, delicate and feminine", jewellery of the first decade or so of this century often has "a high intrinsic value" and is "very collectable at the moment".

If jewellery at the end of the 19th century tended to be "more bulky and difficult to wear", Edwardian jewellery known as "Belle Epoque" in France looks and feels less bulky and more feminine.

The period is typified by a lot of necklaces but fewer earrings. When earrings were worn, they were smaller perhaps a simple diamond stud.

Edward VII reigned from 19011910 and Edwardian jewellery extends to perhaps 1914. This period coincided with the development of the use of platinum which enabled less metal to be used in the settings and contributed to that more delicate look.

Diamonds and pearls are the main stones of the period which, together with platinum, contribute to the whiteness of much Edwardian jewellery.

The period "one of the great heydays of jewellery" has a great variety of different styles. Naturalistic styles like flower motifs and leaves remain from the late 19th century. There are also more organised and symmetrical garland styles like ribbons or heart-shapes. Closer to 1914, Edwardian jewellery employed art deco styles.

Ms Daniela Mascetti, a director at Sotheby's says: "I personally love it. There was a great feeling of confidence and excitement at the turn of the century. Edward was a very social king. He went to the races and attended balls. It was one of the great heydays of jewellery. There were a lot of social events.

"Commercially, Edwardian jewellery is extremely popular. It's very fashionable and seems set to stay so. It's understated and beautifully made. They clearly spent money on the workmanship. There's a feeling of lightness rather than having a chunk of metal around your neck. It's very gentle and pretty rather than striking or dramatic."

Ms Patricia Law, a jewellery specialist at Phillips in London, says that because of the use of platinum "a lot of the Edwardian jewellery is with diamonds and pearls rather than coloured stones".

She says values fetched for Edwardian jewellery go "across the spectrum. You can buy pretty, small pieces for £400 to £500, depending on the stone content which is the intrinsic value". An Edwardian seed pearl sautoir (a long necklace with tiny pearls woven together in a latticework design) set with quite a large aquamarine pendant (a very pale blue stone, "very gentle, nothing too brash") exceeded its guide price of £1,200 to £1,500 at Phillips last December and fetched £2,300. The stone was set in a tiny border or framework of small diamonds.

An Edwardian diamond brooch set along a floral scrolling line of brilliant cut diamonds with nine graduated articulated drops exceeded its guide price of £3,000 to £4,000 at Phillips last year and sold for £8,970. "Graduated" means one line is shorter than the next one while "articulated" means each diamond is on a separate link so that they move as you wear it and they catch the light.

Meanwhile, an Edwardian cartier diamond bow brooch with a guide price of £3,800 to £4,500 sold for £5,290 at Phillips last February. Designed to look like a delicate piece of lace tied like a bow, it was set all through with small diamonds in an open-work design that is, rather than being in a solid bow you could see through it. It had that typical Edwardian feeling of femininity, lightness and delicacy.