Get The Gilded Age Look – Part 2

Welcome back to our selection of pieces from our collection that would be seen on some of the characters from The Gilded Age, the new period drama from Julian Fellowes.

Necklaces of the period were made in many styles, including chokers and fringed necklaces with gems appearing to drip from the central setting.  Our Grand Regal necklace with a huge blue topaz surrounded by swirls of cubic zirconia is the perfect piece for accessorising an over-the-top Gilded Age look, while the other Reverso necklaces (featuring iolite or aquamarine) are also perfect for getting the look.  We can see Mrs Chamberlain wearing the Reverso Iolite piece (with its inky blue stone) as a nod towards her dark past.

Our Vesper and Orb necklaces nod to the fringed style where gems sit at various places on the chain, rather than sitting in a single pendant.  These would be ideal for casual days and for the younger characters because the setting of the stones would flatter a day dress with a high neckline and plain front.  The Apollo necklaces, with a precious stone (ruby, emerald or sapphire) surrounded by a wide halo of cubic zirconia, uses the classic Georgian cluster style to create an attention grabbing piece that would also be ideal for the younger crowd and for casual social events.

Our Bellissimo and Bella collection pieces (both have a necklace and matching earrings) would be ideal for the younger characters of Marion Brookes and Gladys Russell.  These fancy looking gems have an ornate design which is in keeping with the period, but the neutral tone of the cubic zirconia means they're quite youthful.  In a show where each character has a set palette, these cubic pieces are perfect for someone who is still working out their personal style.

Pearls were big in this time period, but it was the smaller pearls that were most popular.  Seed pearls were used to great effect to adorn all sorts of pieces, but larger natural pearls were also worn.  Our Twinkle With A Twist pearl earrings, with a pearl nestled in a silver and cubic studded mount, are lovely pieces to wear for the 1880s look, while the Vintage Pearl ring would look fabulous against evening gloves.  The youngest member of the Russell family, Gladys, would wear our Pearldrop earrings; in fact they are very similar to a pair she wears at a family dinner.  As she is not yet “out” in society her jewellery is simpler than her mother's opulent pieces.

The Dreamy clip earrings with dainty little pearls in a swirling nest of sterling silver nod to the trends of the time, especially the natural world inspiration that led us to the art nouveau period.  The small pearls are a little larger than the seed pearls that would have been used at the time, but they are a lovely touch in these pieces.  The Black Pearl option would have been ideal for mourning jewellery.  Mourning jewellery was de rigeur at the time, as women would wear all black for a long period of time after a death in the family.  Jewellery was made to complement this dark aesthetic and while some of it was quite macabre, the look was refined over the decades to become more versatile and less shocking.

Brooches were a big part of dressing in the period, especially as they were used to pin cloaks and to adorn the swags of fabric seen on lavish evening dresses.  Cameo brooches were the most popular, as were any styles that evoked the natural world.  If you're looking for an 1880s look, dig out the brooches you may have inherited from older relatives and let them shine.

The Gilded Age was a time when certain trends like cluster style settings, ornate necklaces and heavily jewelled tiaras were mainstays of the look.  Because of the how society worked in the period, there were also fast trends, like choker necklaces (called dog collar necklaces) which became fashion stars due to the high society ladies seen wearing them.  The look here is certainly a matter of “more is more”.

We might not be heading out for a night at the Academy watching the opera, dressed from head to toe in sumptuous fabrics and laden with stones, but we can incorporate a little Gilded Age style into any look, after all, it's in the spirit of the period to pile on the bling.