EDVARDIAN Period 1901-1910 In 1901 Queen Victoria passed away and her son Edward became the King of England, hence the term 'Edwardian'. High society was in full swing and lavish jewelry became the style. The heavy gold settings of the Victorian period were no longer in vogue leading to the use of platinum to create a lacy therefore delicate appearance. Edwardian designs were influenced by decorative motifs. A popular known influence was Marie Antoinete's jewelry, which featured an array of garlands, wreaths, bows and tassels with an open work design of scalloped edges and millegrain work. Diamonds were the primary interest in Edwardian jewelry, a fabulous rich, encrusted sparkly look, created by mastercraftsmen with high standards. A combination of other gemstones such as emeralds, sapphires and rubies were widely used to compliment these rich designs. Pearls were also popular and used frequently throughout this period.