Defining deco
The one-off jewellery Tiffany created for Gatsby, along with the use of its original archival pieces, encapsulate the unapologetic luxury of the period. They also inspired a spin-off collection that is more accessible to customers who don’t necessarily have an old-money inheritance to draw from, but still crave the lines, colours, and glamour of art deco designs.
However, Tiffany wasn’t the only company to jump on the Gatsby bandwagon. Tacori’s re-imagined contribution to the vintage resurgence is based on the workmanship of the past. “We still do things the old-fashioned way,” says Michelle Adorjan Chila, the company’s senior vice-president of marketing and public relations. “Designs are done by hand and there is close attention to detail, as well as an intense final inspection process. This creates heirloom elegance in a modern design.”
In terms of authentic vintage pieces, it’s the materials and the methods that give them their unique esthetic: the precious metals, the enameling, the colour combinations. “It’s the use of materials—a feminine use, but very architectural,” Findlay says. “You’re using old-cut diamonds so they really scintillate. And they were cut [to be seen by kerosene light], so they have a different type of shine than today’s modern brilliant cut.”
Look closely at an authentic piece and its daintiness is the first thing you notice. Milgrain and filigree are typical of the era, along with hand engraving. There is a level of craftsmanship many feel is unparalleled in today’s market.
“These original pieces are just going to be harder and harder to find,” says Alanna Van Rijk of Van Rijk Jewellers in Toronto. “Today, most things are made by machines as opposed to being handmade. In those days, a single piece would take months to make, whereas now they are made en mass.”
However, this is not to say originality comes without its downfalls. Older pieces can be tough to work on—shanks can be thinned out or stones are loose—and they may sparkle less, as a lot of vintage pieces use only single-faceted diamonds.
“It just takes a little bit more care and you really need to be a master jeweller to do repairs on vintage pieces,” says Zaven Ghanimian, marketing director for Simon G.
