Jewelry before 19th century

Jewelry dating from before the 19th century is rare and precious. Often fragile, it is exceptional to find them in perfect condition. The know-how of stone cutting and metal treatment was not yet perfected and gems are often roughly set with precious metals. Diamonds are cut in rose or points: they are cleaved by the lapidary. They have a crazy charm but not the brilliance of brilliant-cut diamonds.

We can find enameled jewelry, revolutionary jewelry or jewelry with a political message. Men wore on their fingers the portraits of the political figures they supported, the rings could hide secret mechanisms, poison compartments. These jewels from before the 19th century are the delight of collectors and historians.