Handmade jewelry is jewelry which has been assembled and formed by hand rather than through the use of machines.
Art jewelry is created with a variety of materials, not just precious metals and gems. In the late 19th century, René Lalique revolutionized jewelry design through his emphasis on imagination and technical virtuosity over precious materials and the imitation of past styles. Additionally, he experimented with industrial techniques, plastic and glass. Art jewelry should be compared to expressions of art in other media such as glass, wood, plastics and clay. Art jewelry however has not yet created such a large following and is a relatively small niche, where jewelry is mostly bought by collectors and museums.
Image by Craft*ology via Flickr
Though many consider art jewelry still part of crafts as opposed to real “Arts” (with its appropriate art critics) things are changing considerably, in particular in Germany. In the 1960s and 1970s the German Government and the commercial jewelry industry decided to foster and heavily support modern jewelry designers, and thus creating a new marketplace. They focused in particular on combined contemporary design with their gold smithing tradition and jewelry making. At present art jewelry is no longer a niche market and many designers are sold in regular jewelry stores.
