Bohemian jewelry of the 1890s naturally reflected flowery Victorian tastes
and then moved into the swirls of art nouveau. Briefly, Czechs adapted their wares for the Egyptian revival
fad, before moving into angular Art Deco for more than a decade. By the mid-1930s Czech jewelry used larger
and fewer beads, often graduated in size or combined with a pendant. At antique stores, garage sales and
flea markets, today’s buyers can usually find examples of these vintage Czech styles.
Czechs made much of the modestly priced jewelry sold in the United States in
the 1920s and 1930s (until war once again put paid to factories and business in that part of the world).
Much of this jewelry combined semi-precious stones such as garnets and tinted and faceted glass made of
local sands and ores. Their part of the world also produced much of the table glassware sold around the
world in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Even today, a lot of the translucent faceted glass we call
crystals continues to come from the Czech Republic (although China is rapidly overwhelming the world market)
. Like Czech glass and pottery wares, Bohemian jewelry is known for its vibrant reds, ambers, blues and
greens, with jet black, pearl white and some softer tones.
Brass and tin/lead alloys were the typical metals used in Czech jewelry,
sometimes with a thin wash of gold or silver. Most of their innovations were in necklace designs and long
beaded earrings that reflected their long experience with glass bead making. Valuable bracelets and
broaches were less commonly produced by Czechs because very early 20th-century French and American styles
favored lots of gold and precious stones.
Having trouble with the small sizes of
yesteryear? Well, most of us do!
The ladies were smaller
than the women of today.
NO Problem, be sure to check out our
necklace extenders.