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1940, the war … and yet beautiful creations despite years of torment and the German occupation

But how can jewels of the 40-50s be characterized?

The Art Deco period of the 20-30s, marked by black and white of platinum, diamonds and onyx, is followed by the 40s-50s Retro style, characterized by a massive use of yellow gold and a return to colorful pieces.

The Iconic Tank Ring

First we will see the birth of the famous Tank ring
The Tank ring owes its name to the Tanks of the Second World War, during which it appeared. It's the most emblematic jewel of the Retro style.

Tank Ring Models, Yellow Gold, Diamonds, Synthetic Rubies, Circa 1940-1950

Unlike Art Deco, which used a lot of platinum, Retro jewelry is usually made of yellow or pink gold (even if platinum is used to set the stones).
The heavy, voluminous and asymmetrical forms, the drapes defines the designs of Tank rings and its derivatives (bracelets, necklaces …).

Examples of Tank Bracelet and Necklace, Circa 1940-1950

Secrets Watches

Geometric shapes are also used for the Secret Watches from that period.
The tradition was that women did not necessarily have to know the time. This is why the idea of “secret” or “hidden” watches had become very fashionable in western high society.
Nowadays, these watches are still very popular because they reveal a beautiful and feminine combination of jeweler’s work and watchmaker craftsmanship.
Most of the biggest French and Swiss companies have made Secret Watches, among which: Boucheron, Van Cleef and Arpels, Cartier, Piaget, Chaumet …

On the left, a Boucheron Secret Watch, circa 1940. On the right, the Cadenas watch by Van Cleef And Arpels, created in 1935

The « Tubogas » Mesh

This round and fairly thick mesh is characteristic of this period.

Bracelet made in Tubogas Mesh, Circa 1940-1950

Wildlife Creations

In 1942, Cartier created a cage-shaped brooch with a sparrow locked up to symbolize the occupation. A few years later, the house reissued this model, but this time the cage was open and the bird was ready to fly, celebrating the end of the war in 1944.
It was also during this period that Jeanne Toussaint, iconic creator of Cartier, made the first Panthère Ring.

First Panthère Ring, by Jeanne Toussaint for Cartier, 1943.

Panthère Ring by Cartier, today.

What were the materials used during the war?

In times of great scarcity, how did the workshops get supplies of gold? What type of alloy and which stones did they use?
The Retro style marks the end of the use of platinum, requisitioned, and a return to yellow and pink gold. It was indeed very hard to get precious metals, so the jewelers used a lot of copper for their alloys, which gave an almost red color to gold.

Two Brooches and a ring mixing pink gold and yellow gold, set with diamonds, circa 1940-1950

But metal was not the only resource that became scarce during the war. The arrival of precious stones from Asia was also interrupted. It is for this reason that the jewels of the 40s are mostly set with synthetic sapphires or rubies, made by Verneuil (Auguste Verneuil made the first corundum synthesis in 1902). Nevertheless the very pink color of the rubies and the dark blue of the sapphires allows for a rather simple and fast identification of these synthetic stones.

Emeralds, Verneuil synthetic rubies and sapphires, yellow gold ring, circa 1940-1950.

Great jewelers of that time

Today we find very few jewels dated between 1940 and 1950, great jewelers not wanting to show that they remained open during the occupation. But many of them remained very active in Paris or elsewhere, as the Van Cleef family, exiled in the United States.
Today we find sumptuous pieces of great jewelers such as: Boucheron, Van Cleef and Arpels, Cartier, Sterle, Mauboussin, Mellerio Mellerio, Belperron, Verdura, Dusausoy, Marchak, Bulgari, Fred, Hermès …

If you are interested in vintage jewelry, don’t hesitate to discover what Les Pierres de Julie offer in our store…

We are also available for any free expertise of your vintage jewelry, for that you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.

Whether you're interested in buying a piece of jewellery or a stone, a free jewelry appraisal or jewelry resale, Pierres de Julie welcomes you to its Parisian boutique in the Village Suisse, a stone's throw from the Ecole Militaire and the Esplanade des Invalides.