Australian Jewellery

Book excerpt: "Australian Jewellery documents the styles and fashions of jewellery from European settlement, through the colonial era and the goldrush period which so quickly changed the face of Australia's social and economic history. It examines the influence of immigrant jewellers during the second half of the nineteenth century, their increasing use of locally found gold, silver and gemstones, and the incorporation of Australian flowers, plants, birds and animals as decorative motifs. Novelty and souvenir jewellery are discussed as well as the emergence of jewellers working in the Arts and Crafts tradition." -book jacket.