Lauphine's signature collection is inspired by Britain's Georgian era, spanning from the early 1700's to 1830. This was the era of grand balls and Jane Austen novels. But beyond the social scene, one of the era’s most captivating aspects was the jewelry. The draw of Georgian style jewelry remains timeless because of its blend of elegance, craftsmanship, and charm.
The Essence of Georgian Jewelry
Collet Settings
One of the signature features of Georgian jewelry is the collet setting. Similar to the modern bezels, collets are metal bands that surrounds the gemstone. The band of the collet hugs the stone, securing it in place while maximizing visibility of the diamond, enhancing the beauty of the stone and adding a layer of sophistication to the piece.
Natural Gemstones
Popular stones of the time included diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. This time was known for the use of hand cut diamonds such as old European and ole mind cut diamonds, which tend to reflect light in a softer, more enchanting manner compared to the brilliant-cut diamonds used commonly today. At Lauphine we use both old cut and modern brilliant in our pieces.
Craftsmanship
All jewelry during this era was handmade and required a high level of skill and artistry. Jewelers during this time were known for hand selecting gemstones that complemented their designs. During this era, metal tones such as gold and silver were commonly used together to add texture and detail to jewelry, a style we love to incorporate into Lauphine Signature pieces.