Those of you who have strolled down New Bond Street in London, if only to enjoy the ambience and window shop would not have missed S.J. Phillips Ltd. dealers in Antique and Modern Silver, Jewellery and Objets de Vertu. Founded in 1869, it is one of the oldest family-owned antiques shops in the world, run by Nicolas, Jonathan and Francis Norton, great-grandsons of S. J. Phillips.

In June last year they held an exhibition of paste jewellery. Remarkably, this jewellery, with its wonderful colours and wearable designs, has not dated and still appeals to women today.

Paste jewellery is part of a tradition dating back to antiquity when craftsmen discovered that glass could provide a fine substitute for the colour, brilliance and splendour of expensive gemstones. Roman writers, describing the passion of rich men and women for gold jewellery set with emeralds and pearls imported from the East, remarked that those who could not afford genuine gems sought the same effect.

During the 17th century the demand for glass imitations increased as jewellery design focused on the display of stones, especially diamonds. English travellers to both Venice and Paris remarked on the quality of imitation stones and the translation by Christopher Merrett, a London physician, of A. Neri’s L’Arte Vetraria (Florence 1612) stimulated English makers to follow suit.

There followed in the 18th century the great flowering of paste jewellery, coinciding with what was called ‘the age of the diamond’.

The Parisian jewellers G.F. Strass and Madame Cheron were particularly successful makers of paste while English makers excelled at a white paste, brilliant cut and set in simple mounts that were ideal for buckles and buttons, or clusters. With the fine proportions and excellent workmanship which characterise the best English paste jewellery, they could still transform any outfit. All the leading jewellers sold paste which appealed not only to those of modest means but also to the rich as it could be worn without having to worry about thieves and was a sensible substitute when travelling – attributes which continue to attract buyers today.

Demand for paste continued to increase in the early 19th century and, between 1810 and 1830, a fashion for bright colours in dress as well as jewellery eclipsed white paste ‘diamonds’. Parures or matching sets of imitation amethyst, topaz, emerald and sapphires survive to illustrate this taste, which is exemplified by an early 19th century English parure in blue paste close set in gold (below). Over the years, much old jewellery has been broken up for the stones, particularly parures, so paste survivals are of great interest.

Emeralds from South America are characteristic of Spanish jewellery so emerald green paste was used here as a substitute.

The ritual of mourning was strictly observed in the 19th century which led to the manufacture of suitably sombre jewellery. The jewellery could be made of black enamel or onyx with seed pearl but was principally of jet, both the genuine article from Whitby and the ‘French’, or black glass version, which was not only less expensive but could also be moulded into a greater variety of patterns.

In 1869, Queen magazine stated the case for ‘sham’ jewellery: “If the profession or career of the husband requires that his wife should go much into society on a small income, she would be perfectly justified in wearing imitations to save money. …. it cannot be wrong for a lady who cannot afford and has not inherited them to wear a moderate amount of paste.” The article added that she should not give the impression that her ‘jewels’ were of any value.