Distinguishing ART NOUVEAU jewelry

The members of LA Treasure Hunting have found that there are very few guides available on okay to help bidders distinguish between art deco and art nouveau jewelry. Therefore, we have taken an hour out of schedule to draft up this wonderful little guide which summarizes the style distinctions of nouveau. We will also be creating a deco guide in the near future, so stay tuned!

Quick historical facts concerning art nouveau:

dates between 1895 and 1915, short-lived at beginning of 20th century
led primarily by Rene Jules Lalique of France (though there stood several others throughout the globe)
emerged to eschew Victorian era style
also emerged as a response to Industrial era and the new aesthetic possibilities made available
embraced skilled craftmanship and design over materials
also emphasized the jeweler as ARTIST

What typically characterizes art nouveau jewelry?

beautiful enamelling techniques (cloisonn ~ gold wire used to partition enamel, champlev ~ enamel fills cuts made in metal, basse-taille ~ transparent enamel, plique-a-jour~ stained glass effect)
new materials such as opals, moonstone, glass, cast iron, ivory, horn, tortoise shell, freshwater pearls, etc...
smooth and sweeping lines [like that of woodblocks] that give "life" to the pieces
recession of precious stone usage(diamonds usedalongside "newer" materials such as those listed above)
smooth backs to settings (metal was not textured on the back)
gemon c-clasp to backing
no presence of copyright symbols alongside stamps
stones and rhinestones are SET into place, not glued

Style elements and motifs of art nouveau jewelry:

Japanese woodblock inspiration (Lalique primarily influenced by his encounter with Asian art)
feminine motif typically with long sweeping hair, curving bodies, portrayed as fairies and nymphs
mystery / fantasy theme (think moonstone and opal) occasionally mixed with nature and had a focus on the magical unknown
insects such as dragonflies, butterflies
animals such as snakes, birds
plants ranging from popular flowers (like irises) to grass to seaweed to leaves and vines
sweeping, smooth, curving, free flowing lines (as seen in Asian art like above-mentioned woodblocks) to give "life" to above designs

Note: pictures may be added to this guide later for future reference.
CloisonnChamplevBasse-taillePlique-a-jourC-clasp detail and flat backing (courtesy of jewelryexpert.ge).Noticeable difference between 1) SET stones and 2) GLUED stones.VERSUS In first picture, notice the detailed prong work used to hold the stones in place.