Carson Gray Jewels
2010s Tanzanian Modern Solitaire Rings
Spinel, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Congolese Modern Stud Earrings
Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Tanzanian Modern Stud Earrings
Diamond, Rhodolite, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s African Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Aquamarine, 18k Gold
2010s Congolese Modern Solitaire Rings
Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Congolese Modern Pendant Necklaces
Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Tanzanian Modern Solitaire Rings
Rhodolite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Congolese Modern Solitaire Rings
Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Tanzanian Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Mandarin Garnet, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Congolese Modern Solitaire Rings
Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s African Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tanzanite, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Tanzanian Modern Drop Earrings
Diamond, Garnet, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Tanzanian Modern Solitaire Rings
Rhodolite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Congolese Modern Solitaire Rings
Chrome Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Congolese Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Chrome Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s African Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tanzanite, 18k Gold
1910s American Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
People Also Browsed
Late 20th Century French Wrist Watches
Blue Sapphire, Steel
20th Century Swiss Modern Wrist Watches
Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Unknown Stud Earrings
Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Tourmaline, Multi-gemstone, White Diamond, Diamond, Rose Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Gold
20th Century French Modern Wrist Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Modern Solitaire Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, White Diamond, Diamond, Platinum
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary European Contemporary Clamper Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century French Modern Wrist Watches
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Pendant Necklaces
Aquamarine, Beryl, Morganite, Sterling Silver
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
Steel
Late 20th Century American Artist Modern Bracelets
Diamond, Morganite, Tourmaline, Platinum
2010s French Wrist Watches
Blue Sapphire, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Hoop Earrings
Emerald, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold, Rhodium
Vintage 1970s English Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Carson Gray Jewels For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Carson Gray Jewels?
A Close Look at modern Jewelry
Rooted in centuries of history of adornment dating back to the ancient world, modern jewelry reimagines traditional techniques, forms and materials for expressive new pieces. As opposed to contemporary jewelry, which responds to the moment in which it was created, modern jewelry often describes designs from the 20th to 21st centuries that reflect movements and trends in visual culture.
Modern jewelry emerged from the 19th-century shift away from jewelry indicating rank or social status. The Industrial Revolution allowed machine-made jewelry using electric gold plating, metal alloys and imitation stones, making beautiful jewelry widely accessible. Although mass production deemphasized the materials of the jewelry, the vision of the designer remained important, something that would be furthered in the 1960s with what’s known as the “critique of preciousness.”
A design fair called the “Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes” brought global attention to the Art Deco style in 1925 and gathered a mix of jewelry artists alongside master jewelers like Van Cleef & Arpels, Mauboussin and Boucheron. Art Deco designs from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels unconventionally mixed gemstones like placing rock crystals next to diamonds while borrowing motifs from eclectic sources including Asian lacquer and Persian carpets. Among Cartier’s foremost design preoccupations at the time were high-contrast color combinations and crisp, geometric forms and patterns. In the early 20th century, modernist jewelers like Margaret De Patta and artists such as Alexander Calder — who is better known for his kinetic sculptures than his provocative jewelry — explored sculptural metalwork in which geometric shapes and lines were preferred over elaborate ornamentation.
Many of the innovations in modern jewelry were propelled by women designers such as Wendy Ramshaw, who used paper to craft her accessories in the 1960s. During the 1970s, Elsa Peretti created day-to-night pieces for Tiffany & Co. while designers like Lea Stein experimented with layering plastic, a material that had been employed in jewelry since the mid-19th century and had expanded into Bakelite, acrylics and other unique materials.
Find a collection of modern watches, bracelets, engagement rings, necklaces, earrings and other jewelry on 1stDibs.