Vintage Black Onyx Gold Bead Bracelet 18k French Retro Jewelry

Vintage French jewelry is highly valued by jewelry experts and enthusiasts. Since the late Renaissance, France has established itself as one of the world trendsetters in art and fashion. A quick look at the top 5 French jewelry companies — Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Hermes, Chaumet, Chanel — describes the French level of greatness. How did France go on the top of the jewelry world’s hierarchy? In a nutshell, it started with French apprenticeship system. In the beginning of 1950s, in France anyone at the age 14 could start learning the craft. Learning was primarily hands-on, with apprentices assisting in various stages of jewelry creation under the guidance of their mentors. They would start with basic tasks and gradually progress to more complex ones as their skills improved. This way French jewelers, like no others in the world, gained a substantial portion of experience at the early age. Even non-designer jewels were produced by the highly skilled masters. The 1950s was a period when various design movements, such as Art Deco and the beginning of the Mid-Century Modern era, influenced jewelry aesthetics. Apprentices would be exposed to these design trends and learn to adapt their skills to create pieces reflecting these styles. Masters passed down not only technical skills but also their values, ethics, and artistic sensibilities. Modern jewelry is not handcrafted anymore, and mass market oriented production is prevailing. Jewelry designs are streamlined to use as little hand labor as possible. That’s why today vintage French jewelry is in such high demand. Nadine Krakov Collection offers the most desirable vintage jewelry online made by French experts. About Black Onyx Jewelry: Black onyx is renowned for its striking appearance and unique properties. Formed through the slow crystallization of quartz in the presence of water, onyx belongs to the chalcedony family. The gem is often found in areas with volcanic activity. Jewelry designers are drawn to black onyx for its classic elegance and deep, lustrous hues. Black onyx is often used to add sophistication to any design. The stone’s smooth texture allows to capture the essence of refinement and luxury. Black onyx was a perfect gem for the Art Deco era’s sleek lines and geometric shapes. Its smooth texture and bold black-and-white contrast perfectly complemented the era's streamlined aesthetic, particularly when paired with platinum. As a result, black onyx became synonymous with the Art Deco movement, embodying its emphasis on modernity and geometric precision. Among contemporary jewelry makers, the gem finds frequent use in the pieces of all the big brands. Such collections as Perlée and Alhambra by Van Cleef & Arpels are great examples of black onyx’s application.