Diamond Dreamland:
Vintage Jewelry
Across The Eras
In Lynnland, time is measured
in eras of diamond jewelry.
VINTAGE DIAMOND ART NOUVEAU PORTRAIT NECKLACE
Photographed by: Andrew Werner
Written by: Lynn Yaeger
You only think it is the holiday season, 2024. Over here in Lynnland, it could be 1924, or even 1824. When it comes to our dream diamond gifts, we have banished the calendar, thrown the clock out the window, and retreated to a full-on fantasy land where we gallop mindlessly through the centuries, envisaging Imaginary Lynnie doing all the wonderful things past generations have enjoyed–and draped, of course, in natural diamond jewels. (Of course, since this adventure resides firmly only in Imaginary Lynnie’s head, we also have penicillin, air travel, contact lenses, air conditioning–and all the other modern necessities we have come to rely on.)
So, consider this your invitation to join Lynnie as she trips the light fantastic and time travels to places and eras that exist now only in her deeply personal, defiantly quirky reverie, with natural diamonds as her intrepid companions.
1. Georgian Earrings
It’s the late 18th century, and Imaginary Lynnie is going to a holiday ball. You might think she is wearing a tortuous corset and layers of petticoats, but no! For a few short years during the Georgian era, women were actually trooping around in daring ensembles that left little (almost nothing) to the imagination: semi-sheer Empire-waisted muslin gowns and satin slippers, a simple ribbon wound around their curls. But if Imaginary Lynnie’s bod is semi-bare, the same cannot be said for her ears. In this particular fever dream of the past, her lobes are dazzling with these exquisite rose-cut diamond danglers.
2. Victorian Tiara
It’s the late 19th century, and Imaginary Lynnie is–you guessed it–going to yet another December fête! Her cumbersome Victorian ensemble may be ouchy–no one promised that the life of an indolent spoiled Richie Rich is easy–but poised on her noggin is this unbelievably intricate diamond tiara–a work of art, whose trellised fretwork offers an example of craft that cannot be duplicated today. Will it stay firmly on Lynnie’s head even as she waltzes the night away? Fingers crossed.
3. Edwardian Necklace
Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years, from 1837 to 1901. In 1861, her husband Albert passed on, and for the rest of her life she was in mourning, swathed in black, and she took the whole gloomy commonwealth with her. So just think of the elation among Imaginary Lynnie and her pals when Vickie finally kicks the bucket in 1901, and her son, the fun guy Edward VII, takes the throne. The Edwardian era is everything the Victorian is not–modern and light-hearted, which is why this necklace of draped diamonds and rubies illuminates the holiday season–and Imaginary Lynnie’s neck–so joyously.
4. Art Nouveau Portrait Necklace
Is that Imaginary Lynnie’s likeness on this portrait necklace? Is she wearing this exquisite Art Nouveau wonder as she commandeers a horse-drawn carriage to take her to the Moulin Rouge? And who is that guy furiously scribbling at the next table? None other than Monsieur Toulouse Lautrec, a denizen of Pigalle and a regular here. Should she amble over to him and order a round of absinthe for the two of them? Will he notice her necklace?
5. Art Deco Watches and Clips
It’s the heart of the 1920s, the Art Deco era is going full blast, and Imaginary Lynnie needs to set her exquisite diamond wristwatch. She is checking the time on the famous clock at the Biltmore, waiting for her friends Scott and Zelda to indulge in a boozy night out on the town. Prohibition be damned! Hope it doesn’t get too crazy—these diamond clips decorating the collar of her flapper frock better not end up on the floor of the Stork Club.