What is Berlin iron jewellery?
By Jared James · Last updated 21 May 2026
Definition
Berlin iron jewellery is a distinctive type of cast iron jewellery, worked into intricate openwork designs of extraordinary delicacy, that was produced in Berlin and other Prussian foundries during the first half of the 19th century. It gained particular significance during the Napoleonic Wars, when Prussian citizens donated their gold jewellery to fund the war effort and received iron pieces in exchange, stamped with the motto gold gab ich fur Eisen, meaning I gave gold for iron. The black, lacquered pieces became a mark of patriotic sacrifice and are now highly collectible.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is Berlin iron jewellery black?
- The cast iron is lacquered with a black finish, which also helped to protect the metal from rust. The stark black colour gave the pieces a graphic, almost graphic-print quality quite unlike anything else in the jewellery of the period.
- Is Berlin iron jewellery fragile?
- Despite its delicate appearance, cast iron is a rigid material, so Berlin iron pieces are vulnerable to breaking rather than bending. The openwork designs are easily chipped or snapped if dropped, which is why surviving examples in good condition are rare and valuable to collectors.
- When was Berlin iron jewellery made?
- The height of production was roughly 1810 to 1850, with the war-related pieces from around 1813 to 1815 being the most historically significant. Production declined as prosperity returned and gold became fashionable again.
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