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CUT STEEL AND BERLIN IRON WORK
CUT STEEL Made from the 17th century to 1940 brightly polished steel studs fastened to a steel backplate were fashioned into all sorts of jewellery.
The studs were riveted or screwed into place.English jewellers exported this very popular commodity and by the 19th century France, Italy, Prussia, Spain, and Russia were producing it.
It was very fashionable and used by noblemen and the Empress Josephine, even to the point of being copied in silver.
BERLIN IRON WORK 1796 to 1850 delicate lace like jewellery was produced by Prussian Royal iron foundries from moulten iron.
In 1806 Napoleon defeated Prussia and took patterns from the foundry to Paris.Requests were made by the Prussian Royal family for donations of gold jewellery to help the war effort and in return citizens were given iron jewellery.
The castings were treated with linseed cakes which left a black coating on the metal.