Ancien Regime & Rokoko Schmuck
During the Ancien Regime, i.e. at the time of the absolutist monarchy in France and before the French Revolution in 1789, jewellery in the style of courtly rococo was in fashion from around 1730.
Popular motifs for these pieces of jewellery were bows, garlands or floral shapes such as blossoms and bouquets, richly set with coloured gemstones or set entirely in diamonds and often designed as movable trembling brooches. Of course, the rocaille, which gave the era its name, can also be found in jewellery designs. Necklaces were mainly worn close to the neck, often sewn onto velvet ribbons as a so-called collier de chien, and with large pendants that filled out the wide décolletés of the ladies.
The proximity to courtly life with its pleasurable decadence can be seen in the playful, bold designs of these pieces of jewellery, created with the highest level of craftsmanship. It is the joy of adornment that speaks from these pieces and still captivates us today.
