The Art Nouveau Period

Art Nouveau was a fresh, rebellious art movement that blossomed at the end of the 19th century, bringing a sense of life and movement into design. Instead of copying rigid historical styles, artists and designers looked to nature for inspiration. Flowing lines, curling vines, and delicate shapes drawn from flora and fauna became the heart of the style. It was art that seemed to grow and move, almost like plants stretching toward sunlight.

Art nouveau Posters by Alphonse Mucha Monaco

One of the most distinctive features of Art Nouveau is its love of intricate organic designs. You’ll often see patterns that twist and spiral like tendrils, petals, or waves. These natural forms weren’t just used in paintings—they appeared everywhere: architecture, posters, furniture, jewelry, and even everyday objects like lamps and door handles. The goal was to make art part of daily life, blending beauty with function.

Hôtel Tassel. Photo: visit.brussels/Jean-Paul Remy

Antonia Gaudi

Antoni Gaudí was one of the most famous architects connected to the Art Nouveau movement. Working mainly in Barcelona, he developed a highly personal style that blended Art Nouveau ideas with his own imaginative vision. His buildings often look almost alive, filled with flowing curves, colourful mosaics, and shapes inspired by nature.

Casa Batlló Gaudí Photo credit: Ruggiero Calabrese

Art Nouveau Jewellery

Art Nouveau jewellery is all about flowing shapes, natural beauty, and delicate detail. Inspired by plants, flowers, and the curves of the natural world, art nouveau jewellery became hugely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Designers created pieces that felt soft, organic, and artistic, making jewellery an important part of art nouveau fashion and everyday style.

Some of the most recognisable pieces include elegant art nouveau necklaces, especially the classic art nouveau pendant necklace, often decorated with flowers, leaves, or flowing feminine figures. Matching art nouveau earrings were also popular, particularly graceful art nouveau drop earrings that moved beautifully when worn. Today collectors often look for antique art nouveau earrings or vintage art nouveau earrings because of their unique craftsmanship and timeless appeal.

Credit: Wave Antiques (Original piece)

Collectors today love both antique art nouveau jewelry and vintage art nouveau jewelry, but the style also inspires modern designers. Many makers produce art nouveau inspired jewelry and art nouveau costume jewelry, keeping the flowing style alive in modern costume jewellery collections. You can even find beautiful costume jewellery earrings that echo the classic shapes of original designs.

Art Nouveau wasn’t just about necklaces and earrings either. Designers created decorative art nouveau hair accessories, ornate brooches, and other accessories that complemented art nouveau inspired fashion. A delicate pretty brooch or flowing necklace could completely transform an outfit.

Today the style continues through handmade jewellery and independent designers who focus on artistic craftsmanship. Whether it’s unique jewellery, vintage style jewellery, or simply pretty jewellery inspired by nature, Art Nouveau remains one of the most elegant and creative jewellery styles ever made.

Famous art Nouveau Designers

Art Nouveau jewellery has this dreamy, slightly wild energy that makes it feel very different from more traditional styles. Instead of focusing only on precious stones, many Designers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries treated jewellery like tiny works of art. They loved flowing lines, natural shapes, and themes taken from plants, insects, and the female form. Names like lucien gaillard, Leopold Gautrait, Henri Vever, and Georges Fouquet helped push jewellery away from stiff Victorian traditions and toward something much more expressive and imaginative.

What’s interesting is how experimental these artists were with materials. While diamonds and gold were still around, they were often combined with enamel, horn, ivory, and unusual stones. Makers such as lalique became famous for this approach, especially through pieces that blended jewellery with decorative art. The influence of lalique glass also showed how closely jewellery design was connected with other art forms at the time.

The movement wasn’t limited to France either. Across the Atlantic, companies like tiffany & co were also exploring the softer, nature-inspired look of Art Nouveau. Early tiffany jewelry from this period shows similar flowing shapes and delicate craftsmanship, proving that the style had international appeal.

Lalique Art nouveau jewellery piece (original)

Lovett & Co 

Our designer Rachel Lovett creates pieces inspired by this very special era using handpainted enamels, inticate and organic brass decoration and natural colour palettes and stones.

Shop our Art Nouveau collections here

 

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