What Is "Paste" Jewelry
By gelatogrrl
The
eighteenth century was the age of paste. At that time there was no
special social stigma attached to the wearing of glass imitation stones, in
fact quite the contrary.
Glass
(or paste) was worn by both those who could well afford genuine gemstones, and
by those who could not.
In 1724
a lead glass that is often referred to as strass, was invented by
George Strass of Strasbourg, while he worked as a jeweler in Paris.
The
disdain that most collectors feel today for paste jewelry is a modern attitude
and was not shared by people of the eighteenth century who preferred to wear
paste jewels especially when traveling because of the fear of highwaymen and
the dangers of robbery.
But the
glass jewels of the eighteenth century were different from the glass jewels of
today and that may account for some of the acceptance of the early paste. In
the eighteenth century, the glass jewels were well designed and were made as
carefully as precious stones.
The
French were especially careful to set blue-paste cabochon stones that rivaled
their natural sapphire counterparts in beauty and appeal.
A
special type of paste - opal glass - was developed in the eighteenth
century: it consisted of translucent pink glass set over rose-colored foil and
was enormously popular.
The best
examples of glass were made before 1820. After 1850 jewelry styles changed,
and the use of paste was directed almost entirely toward imitating diamonds.
Later,
glass jewels ceased to be coveted objects and their popularity plunged
dramatically.
Collectors need to be aware that paste stones have a tendency to wear at the
facet edges and abrade heavily so they are not very likely to deceive you as a
buyer.
The
antique-paste items made by skilled craftsmen have a collectible value of
their own, and good examples are pricey.
Make the
following tests to separate glass from stone: Take the gem's temperature by
touching it to your lips or with your tongue. Glass has no crystal structure
and will remain warm to the touch; mineral-based crystal will stay cool.
Examine the stone with your 10X loupe and look for such indicators of glass as doughnut shaped inclusions, round bubbles, molded (as if poured) facets or cabochons, and conchoidal (concentric) chips.