9ct Gold Tiger Eye Ring
Vintage 1980s British Modern Stud Earrings
Tiger's Eye, Gold
Vintage 1970s British Modern Stud Earrings
Tiger's Eye, Gold
People Also Browsed
1990s British Modern Signet Rings
Agate, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s British Edwardian Bangles
Gold
Vintage 1970s Unknown Cocktail Rings
Agate, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Indian Edwardian Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Sterling Silver
Antique Early 1900s British Edwardian Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold
Early 20th Century Edwardian Engagement Rings
Emerald, Yellow Gold, White Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
Vintage 1980s British Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Gold
20th Century Solitaire Rings
Agate, Chalcedony, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s British Signet Rings
Onyx, Gold
Vintage 1910s German Art Deco Band Rings
Garnet, Yellow Gold, Gold
Antique 1850s British Victorian Link Necklaces
Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Retro Cocktail Rings
Agate, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1910s Unknown Edwardian Three-Stone Rings
White Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
Vintage 1950s British Modern Band Rings
Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Agate, Gold, 15k Gold
20th Century Cocktail Rings
Agate, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century British Contemporary Link Bracelets
Tiger's Eye, Amethyst, Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1970s British Modern Signet Rings
Tiger's Eye, Gold
Vintage 1970s British Modern Stud Earrings
Tiger's Eye, Gold
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.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.
12 Calming Spaces Inspired by Japanese Design
From cherry-blossom-adorned walls paired with glamorous lighting to wood-paneled ceilings above checkerboard-patterned chairs, these 12 spaces seamlessly blend Eastern and Western aesthetics.
Eileen Gray’s Deco Designs Launched Modernism. That Was Just the Beginning
Decades after her death, appreciation for the legendary designer and architect's work continues to flourish.
Harvey Probber Was the Godfather of Modern Modular Seating
The forward-thinking designer is finally getting his due.
20 Artfully Crafted Mirrors to Frame Your Reflection
In "Object Permanence 4," on view at the 1stdibs Gallery, Emma Holland Denvir and Leah Ring have brought together pieces that range from polished to playful.
Roberto Burle Marx’s Bold Brazilian Landscape Design Comes to New York
The New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, has mounted a multifaceted show honoring the polymath modernist's legacy, including new work by contemporary landscape maker Raymond Jungles.