Exhibition exposure
The Great Exhibition—the first international World’s Fair—was held in London at the Crystal Palace in 1851. Credit goes to Prince Albert for the idea of highlighting achievements in design arts, architecture, archeological exploration, and industry from around the known world. Technological innovations and the most fabulous stuff imaginable were on display alongside treasures, such as a few bits owned by Queen Victoria, including the largest known diamond at the time—the Koh-i-Noor—then weighing 186 carats. A 50-kg lump of gold from Chile was on show, as were rubies, sapphires, and pearls from India, as well as Swiss pocket watches. If jewellery wasn’t your thing, you could meander along to the next aisle to view the latest in kitchen appliances, farm equipment, and guns. The venue provided a cross-cultural space to indulge in bragging rights, a bit of showing off, and national pride. Inspiration gleaned from the exhibits highlighting the ancient civilizations of Rome and Greece filtered through to the design of jewellery and had broad and far-reaching influences on popular design motifs for decades.
The beauty of science
At the time, astronomy was considered a suitable interest for a proper gentleman and the recurrence of Halley’s Comet approximately every 75 years inspired jewellery with celestial themes. Often a brooch’s main stone would have a diamond, amethyst, or garnet representing the comet, with a decorative tail of graduated similar stones, sometimes with an elongated flare of gold. Crescent moon and star motifs decorated brooches and en esclavage necklaces, often with seed pearl and enamel accents. Sunbursts and starbursts were also popular.
Art nouveau goes with the flow
The expositions held in Paris in 1889 and 1900 continued the fascination with the natural world post-Darwin, and amateur hobbyists appreciated motifs with butterflies, dragonflies, and even the romanticized version of bats and snakes. Brooches, in particular, were designed with pliqué-Ã -jour enamel in rich colours. Curves, swirls, and coiling tendrils were common components.
