Edwardian jewellery is the jewellery of the years around 1901 to 1915: the reign of Edward VII and the last glittering decade before the First World War, known in France as the Belle Époque. Its signature is platinum, worked into light, lace-like settings, with an almost all-white palette of diamonds and pearls, fine millegrain edges and the graceful "garland style" of bows, wreaths and swags. If a piece looks as delicate as embroidery yet feels perfectly solid on the hand, there is a good chance it is Edwardian. Here is a dealer's guide to what defines the period, how to recognise it, and what to look for when buying.
What is Edwardian jewellery?
Edward VII came to the throne in January 1901 and died in 1910, but the style that bears his name is broader than his reign. It was already emerging in the late 1890s and lasted until war broke out in 1914, so dealers usually speak of Edwardian jewellery as c.1895–1915. In France the same years belong to the Belle Époque, the "beautiful era" of peace and prosperity, and in America to the Gilded Age.
Queen Alexandra set the tone. Her fondness for many-stranded pearl chokers, worn high on the neck, made the "dog collar" one of the defining jewels of the age, and society evenings lit by electric light called for jewellery that sparkled.
Platinum: the metal that made the style
The single most important thing to know about Edwardian jewellery is platinum. The metal had been known for more than a century, but its very high melting point, at nearly 1,770°C, made it almost impossible for jewellers to work until improved oxy-hydrogen torches became available in the later 19th century. Once they could, they discovered a metal that was white, did not tarnish and was immensely strong.
That strength changed everything. In silver or gold a setting must be fairly thick to hold a diamond safely, but platinum could be drawn into fine wire and pierced into delicate openwork while still gripping each stone securely. The result was jewellery of extraordinary lightness: pierced galleries, "knife-edge" bars that look like a single line from the front, and settings so fine that the diamonds seem to float.
Our Edwardian platinum sapphire ring of about 1910 shows exactly what platinum made possible. A deep royal-blue cushion-cut sapphire of around 1.6ct sits in a finely millegrained openwork setting whose curved platinum lines give the ring an unusual, almost eye-like profile, with old European cut diamonds on the shoulders and smaller rose-cut diamonds beyond. It weighs just 2.14g.
Platinum-topped gold
Platinum was expensive, and many pieces of the period combine the two metals: a gold body, which is warm against the skin, with the diamond settings faced in platinum to make the stones look whiter. This platinum-topped gold took over from the silver-topped gold of the Victorians, and it is a very useful dating clue. Our French toi et moi diamond ring, made in Paris around 1910, is a lovely example: 18ct gold with platinum-topped, open-backed settings, two old cut diamonds of about 0.3ct each at the centre of a firework-like swirl of smaller old cut and rose-cut diamonds. It carries the French eagle's head mark for Paris and 18ct gold.
The garland style
The great decorative language of Edwardian jewellery is the garland style. Its designers looked back to the elegant ornament of 18th-century France, in the age of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and borrowed its ribbons, bows, laurel wreaths, swags of flowers, tassels and lattices. Translated into platinum and diamonds, these motifs became brooches, tiaras, pendants and rings of a light, airy symmetry.
Look for:
- Bows and ribbons, often tied in a lover's knot.
- Wreaths and garlands of leaves and flowers, set with tiny diamonds.
- Millegrain, the row of minute beads around each stone, which softens the outline and adds sparkle.
- Openwork and piercing, so that light passes through the whole piece.
- Négligée and lavalière pendants, delicate drops hanging from fine chains.
Diamonds, pearls and colour
Edwardian jewellery is predominantly white: diamonds, pearls and platinum. The great South African diamond finds of the late 19th century meant that diamonds were more plentiful than ever before, and most Edwardian stones are old European cuts, round with a high crown and a small open culet, along with rose cuts used as accents. Natural pearls were the most prized gem of all, and could be worth more than diamonds.
Colour was used with restraint, usually as a single accent. Sapphires and rubies were favourites, and amethysts, peridots, demantoid garnets and opals all had their moment. Our Edwardian ruby and diamond cluster ring of about 1910 sets a single round ruby within a dome of 48 rose-cut diamonds. It is unmarked, as many rings of the period are, but tests as 15ct gold, a standard that was legal in Britain until 1932. Its low, open-backed cluster makes it an easy everyday ring and a classic antique engagement ring.
Gold in the Edwardian age
Platinum may define the period, but gold never went away, especially for bangles, everyday rings and men's jewellery. Fine hinged bangles were worn in stacks, often set with small stones in engraved "star" settings. Our Edwardian diamond, ruby and sapphire bangle of about 1910 is a good example: a 14ct gold hinged bangle with a double bar star-set with diamonds, a ruby and a sapphire, stamped 585 and probably made in Germany or Austria, with its original clasp and safety catch still working perfectly.
Snake rings, a Victorian favourite, also remained popular. Our French Belle Époque snake ring, made in Paris around 1910 by Gillio & Callarotti, shows two entwined serpents in engraved 18ct gold, one head set with a sapphire and the other with a diamond. For more on the motif, read our history of 2,000 years of snake rings.
Edwardian and Art Nouveau: two sides of the Belle Époque
Running alongside the formal elegance of the garland style was Art Nouveau, which flourished from about 1890 to 1910. Where Edwardian jewellery was white, symmetrical and diamond-set, Art Nouveau was colourful, flowing and artistic, prizing enamel, horn, opal and moonstone and the sinuous lines of plants, insects and women's hair. Both were worn by the same fashionable society, and some of the most interesting jewels of the period sit between them.
Our French Limoges enamel necklace of about 1910 is a beautiful example of this artistic strand: an openwork 18ct gold crescent of scrolling wire with a tapered enamel drop, its two plaques signed by Thoumieux of Limoges and enamelled to imitate the shifting colours of opal.
How to recognise Edwardian jewellery
1. Check the metal
Platinum, or platinum-topped gold, is the strongest clue. Note that platinum was not hallmarked in Britain until 1975, so genuine Edwardian platinum is usually unmarked or stamped informally "PLAT" or "PT". A test by an experienced dealer will confirm it.
2. Look at the diamonds
Expect old European cuts and rose cuts. A sharp modern brilliant in an apparently Edwardian mount may be a later replacement, which affects value.
3. Study the setting
Millegrain edges, pierced galleries, knife-edge bars and hand-pierced openwork are typical. Under a loupe, Edwardian piercing is crisp but slightly irregular, cut by hand rather than cast.
4. Read any marks
British gold may carry a date letter that places it exactly; French pieces often carry the eagle's head for 18ct gold. Our guide to antique jewellery eras and how to date a piece explains hallmarks in more detail.
5. Beware of "Edwardian style"
The look has been copied ever since, especially in engagement rings. Modern copies are usually cast in one piece, in white gold rather than platinum, with modern cut stones and very even millegrain. When in doubt, ask for close-up photographs of the back of the setting.
Is Edwardian jewellery a good buy?
The war brought the period to an abrupt end. Platinum was needed for the war effort and its use in jewellery was restricted in several countries, and when fashion resumed in the 1920s it had turned to the bold geometry of Art Deco. That short window, and the fragility of fine platinum work, means good Edwardian jewelry is far scarcer than Victorian. Yet it remains wonderfully wearable: platinum is hard-wearing, the open settings keep stones bright, and the designs sit comfortably beside modern clothes. An Edwardian ring makes a natural choice for engagement, combining an antique diamond with real delicacy. Our comparison of antique and lab-grown diamonds explains why old cut stones are so loved.
Available now
- Edwardian platinum sapphire ring, c.1910, UK M / US 6¼
- French toi et moi diamond ring, Paris, c.1910, 18ct gold and platinum, UK M½ / US 6½
- Edwardian ruby and diamond cluster ring, c.1910, UK N / US 6¾
- Edwardian diamond, ruby and sapphire bangle, c.1910, 14ct gold
- Belle Époque snake ring, Paris, c.1910, 18ct gold, UK M½ / US 6½
- French Limoges enamel necklace by Thoumieux, c.1910, 18ct gold
Browse our full Edwardian jewellery collection, or see antique engagement rings, bracelets and bangles and Art Deco jewellery. If you would like more photographs or a condition report on any piece, we are always happy to help.
Frequently asked questions
What years are considered Edwardian jewellery?
Edward VII reigned from 1901 to 1910, but the Edwardian style is usually dated from the late 1890s to around 1915, when the First World War brought it to an end.
Is Edwardian jewellery always platinum?
No. Platinum is the defining metal of the period, but gold, often 15ct, 18ct or 14ct, and platinum-topped gold were both widely used, especially for bangles, everyday rings and snake rings.
What is the difference between Edwardian and Belle Époque jewellery?
They describe the same period. Edwardian is the British term, after the king; Belle Époque is the French term for the years of peace and prosperity before 1914. Both share the garland style, platinum and old cut diamonds.
Is an Edwardian ring strong enough for everyday wear?
Generally, yes. Platinum is very strong, and many Edwardian rings have been worn daily for more than a century. As with any antique ring, have the claws checked from time to time and take it off for heavy work.