Garland style
JewelryWiki Editorial·1 source·Reviewed 2026-08-04
The other jewellery of 1895–1910: light, white, diamond-and-platinum work that ran alongside Art Nouveau and is what most people mean when they say "Edwardian".
Properties
| Property | Value | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | 1895 – 1910, contemporaneous with Art Nouveau [1] | — |
| Named for | Its garland, swag and bow motifs, drawn from 18th-century French ornament. [1] | — |
| Defining traits | The V&A introduces it as the alternative to Art Nouveau in the same years: Art Nouveau’s radical look was not for everyone or for every occasion, and superb diamond jewellery continued to be made in the garland style throughout the period. [1] | — |
| What to watch for | This entry exists because of a vocabulary mismatch that costs buyers money. Jewellery sold as "Edwardian" is usually garland-style work, and the V&A’s history of jewellery has no Edwardian section at all — it treats these years under Art Nouveau and the garland style. If a listing says Edwardian, the useful question is which of the two contemporaneous styles the piece actually belongs to, because they look nothing alike and are not valued alike. [1] | — |
Sources
- V&A — A history of jewellery — Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A, A history of jewellery)