'Vintage' gets used in jewellery listings to mean almost anything that isn't brand new, which makes the term nearly meaningless on its own. Art Deco, by contrast, refers to a specific historical design movement with recognisable features. Here's how the terms actually break down — and why a new piece can still honestly borrow a genuine Art Deco look.
Antique, vintage and modern: the actual definitions
Among collectors and appraisers, antique generally means 100 years old or more. Vintage is looser and more debated, but is commonly used for pieces roughly 20 to 99 years old — old enough to reflect a past era's design, not old enough to be a true antique. Modern or contemporary simply means newly made, regardless of the style it's designed in. Importantly, a brand-new ring made today in an Art Deco style is a modern piece with vintage-inspired design — not an antique or vintage piece itself. Age and style are two separate questions, and jewellery listings often blur them.
What actually defines Art Deco?
Art Deco is a specific design movement that flourished in the 1920s and 1930s, defined by geometric shapes, bold symmetry, and a preference for straight lines and angles over the flowing, organic curves that came before it. In jewellery specifically, that translates to features like:
Sharp geometric outlines — squares, hexagons, and stepped, layered shapes rather than soft curves.
Contrasting colour and stone combinations, often set with strong graphic symmetry rather than a single centred stone.
Sunburst and fan motifs, radiating lines that echo the era's fascination with symmetry and modern machine-age design.
Tiered, stepped settings, where stones or metalwork descend in distinct layers rather than blending smoothly.
How Art Deco differs from 'vintage' more broadly
'Vintage-style' jewellery can pull from any past decade — Victorian romanticism, 1950s glamour, 1970s boldness — and each has its own visual language. Art Deco is one specific vintage aesthetic among several, distinguished by its geometry, whereas Victorian pieces, for comparison, lean toward nature motifs (flowers, leaves, birds) and softer, more ornate detailing.
| Style | Era referenced | Visual cues |
|---|---|---|
| Art Deco | 1920s–1930s | Geometric, symmetrical, sunburst and stepped shapes |
| Victorian | 1830s–1900s | Nature motifs, ornate detailing, sentimental symbols |
| Modern / contemporary | Present day | Clean lines, minimal or sculptural, any era's motifs reinterpreted |
Can a new piece be 'genuinely' Art Deco?
Honestly — not in the antique sense, no. A piece made today is a modern piece, however faithfully it reproduces the geometry and symmetry of the 1920s and 30s. What it can genuinely offer is the correct visual language of the era: the same sunburst radiance, the same stepped settings, the same graphic symmetry, made with today's materials and price points. That's a fair and accurate way to describe Art Deco-inspired jewellery, and it's the distinction worth knowing before you buy.
Moissanite Drop Earrings — Art Deco sunburst design
Vintage Crown Moissanite Ring — ornate scalloped halo
Square Moissanite Stud Earrings — clean geometric, modern
Browse more in our rings and earrings collections.
The short version
Antique means genuinely old (100 years plus), vintage is a looser, younger band of age, and modern means newly made — regardless of the style. Art Deco is a specific geometric, symmetrical design language from the 1920s–1930s, and a new piece can honestly borrow that look without being sold as an antique itself.