The Language of Style
Jewellery has always reflected the spirit of its time. Each piece carries within it the breath of its century, revealing how people once saw beauty, balance and desire. From the composed elegance of Georgian jewels to the flowing grace of Art Nouveau and the bold rhythm of Art Deco, every style tells us something about the world that shaped it. At Adin, we study these changing forms not merely as historians, but as storytellers who find in every jewel a voice from the past.
Learning to See
To recognise a style is to enter into conversation with history. Each form and colour speaks a dialect of its own, revealing the ideals and emotions of the age that inspired it. By learning to see these visual clues, we understand not only when a jewel was created, but also why it was imagined that way.
Our Approach
The overview that follows is the result of years of study and comparison. These divisions are not our invention, but the outcome of bringing together knowledge from many trusted sources: museum archives, academic research and the long tradition of the trade itself. Through this synthesis, Adin’s classification offers clarity where history overlaps, allowing each period to be viewed in its rightful light.
Authenticity and Style
It is important to remember that a jewel made in the style of a certain period is not necessarily from that period. Throughout history, craftsmen have often revived earlier fashions, sometimes because those designs continued to sell, sometimes because a style had returned to favour and for a public less concerned with authenticity. On occasion, imitation was even used to pass a jewel off as older than it truly was. Recognising the difference between genuine creation and later revival lies at the heart of our expertise, and defines the boundary between what is authentic and what merely pretends to be.
Discover the stories below, told in gold and stone.