Glass has been used for centuries in jewellery, usually attempting to imitate precious stones like diamonds as well as other gemstones like turquoise, jade, and amber. Examples of glass imitations go back as far as 1500AD. Early attempts, though, were not particularly clear and sparkling due to a lack of appropriate chemical knowledge. ‘Cristallo’ glass, developed in the 15th century on the island of Murano, was apparently the first clear glass produced but it is not known if it was used in jewellery.
Up until the 17th century, glass was molded and lacked the sparkle of real gemstones. Rock crystals, which had had a higher dispersion, was often used to duplicate gems in preference to glass because it could be polished and faceted to some extent. In 1675, Englishman George Ravenscroft developed flint glass. It had high dispersion and higher refractive index than molded glass or rock crystal and began to be used for jewellery. Then, in 1724, French jewel designer Georges Frédéric Strass came up with ‘paste’, a leaded glass that he cut and polished with metal powder until it shone like a diamond. Named white ‘diamante’ or ‘strass’, the stones became very popular in Parisian high society. This was at a time when the use of wax candles in the evenings led to more social events being held at night and people wanted to be seen to be wearing sparkly gems. Paste stones, in a range of different colours, remained popular and acceptable in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1840, a process to permanently foil pastes was discovered.
Paste jewellery was produced by high end jewellers and became an important industry in France. In 1767, 314 French jewellers formed a corporation of ‘joailliers-faussetiers’ (fake jewellers). Pieces were produced in gold as well as silver and there are some beautiful pieces to be found. The Georgian St Esprit dove pendant below from Normandy, crafted in 18ct gold, is a stunning example of high quality work.
navette jewellery 