Retro Jewelry

The Retro Period 1935-1950

The Retro Period also know as Retro Modern is the name given for the jewelry created from 1935 to the Mid 1950s.  The name itself suggests looking both backward and forward and Retro jewlery looks both to the past and to the future for its inspiration and themes.  The streamlined geometric and linear looks of the Art Deco Period evolved to become larger and more three dimensional with curves and asymetry.

During the war years platinum was conscripted for the war effort, many gem mines were closed and overall supplies were restricted by reduced saftely in transportation.  As a result of the changes in availablitly of materials, jewelry designers focused on using large expanses of polished gold but relatively few gemstones.  Bicolor and tricolor gold became the norm including pink (rose), yellow and white.  Rose gold with its dramatic pink look due to the high percentage of copper was especially popular. 

While women wore suits and dresses with a severe masculine line they showed their feminine side with fewer but bolder pieces of jewelry.  This jewelry often included a scroll or flower spray booch, a wide gold bracelet, a ring with a large gemstone or scolls of gold and smaller stones, a necklace of choker length and earrings that sit on the earlobe rather than dangling. 

The two prevalent motifs of Retro jewelry were feminine themes and patriotic or industrial themes.  Feminine styles included flowers, birds, ribbons, bows, scrolls and fabric like folds.  Patriotic and industrial styles inclued tank tread bracelets, with large repetitive links evoking tank tracks and war industry production lines as well as red, white and blue stones used on stylized flags and military type insignias.

The Retro years, though difficult for the great jewelry houses of war torn Europe, were particularly creative for American jewelers and for many famous designers, including Mauboussin, Verdura, Flato, Slumberger and Seaman Schepps.