Object of the Day: A Transitional Diamond Stickpin

As tastes changed from the Victorian to Edwardian eras, so did popular styles of jewelry. The more florid, curvilinear designs gave way to considerably more angular creations which relied on geometry and simplicity. This diamond stickpin, for example, dates to the late 1910’s. Here, we see a delicately decorated hexagon which has been set with a fine grill of gold. The cage-like inset has been so expertly crafted that it almost appears to be floating with no visible means of support. In the center of the grill, a diamond has been mounted. This, too, appears to hover magically over the gold-work.


By the 1920’s, jewelry began to rely more heavily on geometric designs. This stickpin shows the evolution of the jeweler’s art as sensibilities shifted from the more romantic to the bolder tastes of the jazz age.