1. Geometry is the first language
Rectangles, triangles, chevrons, sunbursts, strict bilateral symmetry. Where an earlier ring meandered, a Déco ring marches. Look for deliberate contrast — onyx against diamond, coral against jade.
2. Calibré stones, fitted like masonry
Small emeralds, rubies or sapphires cut to a custom shape so they sit flush with almost no metal showing — a continuous ribbon of colour. Slow, exacting work: exactly why it signals quality.
3. Old European cut diamonds
The dominant diamond of the era: small table, tall crown, deep pavilion, a visible culet. Cut for candlelight, it returns warm, chunky flashes. A crisp modern brilliant in a “Déco” ring suggests a later stone — or a later ring.
4. Platinum, thin as lace
Strong enough to hold large stones in nearly invisible settings, platinum made the era's filigree and knife-edge lines possible. A white-on-white look points to Déco — a strong signal, though yellow gold never fully disappeared.
5. Milgrain under the loupe
A beaded line of tiny raised dots finishing the edges, applied by hand. Crisp, even milgrain is the mark of a workshop that cared.
When the five signals agree, the hallmark and the paperwork are confirming what the piece has already told you. Every Art Déco piece at ÂGÉE is scouted personally by the founder and documented — there is no second copy. The other eras are mapped in the guide to jewellery eras; the process is on Our Method.
