Antique Gold Work
Antique Gold Work can incorporate ancient and medieval technologies and can provide important dating clues for the antique jewelry investor.
Of all the gold-forming techniques, used throughout the History of Jewelry, it was the goldwork applied to antique gold jewelry, in the 19th century, that was the very finest.
Jewelry as an art form has traveled through a series of different goldwork techniques, applied at specific periods throughout history. When identifying Gold Antique Jewelry, the different goldwork applications will help you with dating the piece. A jewelers loupe will be essential in the identification process.
Beautiful goldwork, embellishing Antique Jewelry, painstakingly created by master craftsman, revolved around Three fundamental goldwork techniques...
Late Georgian Antique Jewelry and early Antique Victorian Jewelry incorporated an antique gold work application known as:
1. Cannetille
Cannetille is French Word, however, it is thought that Cannetille first originated in England and later adopted in France. It is a recurring decoration on Antique Gold jewelry. Cannetille gold work may be evident on the most impressive antique gold pieces in existence today.
In the 1830s gold was skillfully wrought into antique filigree jewelry in the shape of sprays of flowers, brooches with stylized flowers- the heads of which were made from Persian turquoise, pearls or sometimes citrines and amethyst gems for pansies.
And as if coming to us from a fairy tale as gold spun from a wooden spinning wheel, this exquisite antique goldwork technique was used to make light and yet luxurious jewelry.
Cannetille or "canetille" was named after the gold embroideries of the Napoleonic years; a type of embroidery made with very twisted gold or silver thread. The patterns are often in the form of scrolls or rosettes made of tightly coiled wires.
This labor-intensive technique was unfortunately short-lived and fell out of favor soon after it was introduced and no one has dared take up the difficult process since.
During this time semi-precious stones also became fashionable. Amethysts, topaz, and aquamarines were set in this beautiful filigree 'Cannetille' antique goldwork, which made the most of a small amount of gold.
Cannetille takes the form of a filigree pattern, where the surface is encrusted with fine detailing in gold, consisting of spirals of wire orgrainti where small granules are used, often enhanced with gemstones or enameling.
Gold articles so decorated were hand-made but when used on silver or base metal, the pattern was made by stamping. This style was popular in both England and France during the 1820s.
Stones were often foiled for uniformity of color and were set in nests of tightly-curled fine gold wires with trails of tiny gold granules. For more information on Cannetille goldwork click Here...
Antique Gold Work Fades to Repoussé
By 1840, the taste for Cannetille had completely faded and was replaced by a form of gold work called:
2. Repoussé
With this method, the design was raised in relief by hammering the gold from the back, and machine made parts were often hand finished. Repoussé hammered by the hand of an artist demonstrated the skill and fine craftsmanship produced in the [Victorian era.]
Designs for this style of Gold Jewelry were scroll-work, strap-work, shells, flowers, and leaves. Many of these motifs and patterns established during this pre-Victorian era continued throughout the century.
Colored gold mixed with copper provided a red sheen or with silver, a green tint and was used for stems and leaves and the matte surface complimented the satin finish of the turquoise or Natural Pearls.
Some of the best examples of this style of goldwork can also be seen in pre-Victorian gentleman's seals, considered an important item at the period. Incredible skill and care went into these important accessories.
On both large and minute seals, richly chased flowers, leaves, seashell motifs, animals or coiled serpents is often evident.
Granulation - An Ancient Gold work Technique
Major archaeological discoveries from the middle of the century re-introduced a lost new 'archaeological style' of antique goldwork known as:
3.Granulation
While genuine ancient examples had occasionally been seen in society, such as the newly discovered Etruscan pieces worn by Lucien Bonaparte's wife in Rome in the 1830s, these were rare.
The finest jewelry from the ancient world was created by the Etruscans who had settled in Tuscany in Italy in the late 8th century BC. Their reputation rests primarily on their unequaled mastery of the difficult ancient goldwork technique of Granulation, that created superb, textured surface patterning, on their goldwork.
Minute gold spheres were heated to the melting point (sometimes as small as 0.14mm) and then attached to the gold surface below without melting the surface. This technique had largely been a mystery until the 1930s.
It was then discovered that a mixture of copper carbonate, water, and fish glue was used to hold the granules in place and on heating the copper fused with the gold to create a solder-less joint.
The process could create simple geometric patterns and intricate scenes to cover whole areas. It looked like fine gold dust!
There was a revival in 'archaeological style' jewelry in the 1860s following excavation in Italy and the Crimea.
Read about the Medieval Austrian Buried Treasure in the Backyard...
A number of European jewelers became famous for their close copies.
One of the most important working in the archaeological style and using antique gold work techniques of Granulation was Fortunato Pio Castellani (1793-1865) followed by his two sons, Alessandro (1824-83) and Augusto (1929-1914). Castellani's work was inspired by Etruscan and Greek originals. They kept up to date with the new archaeological discoveries and were able to amass a great collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman goldwork.
Their knowledge of ancient jewelry won them an international reputation. Castellani of Rome had shops in London and Paris.
Ancient goldwork was often heavily embossed with details in intricate gold filigree and fine granules. And although Castellani did not achieve an exact replication of the Etruscan technique he achieved a pretty close match using solder.
Antique Jewelry Investors can identify ancient 'archeological style' by the antique gold work applied to the surface.
I hope you enjoyed reading about Antique Gold Work!
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