Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Kurt Wayne brought an optimistic and playful style to the art of making jewelry. Celebrated by those in the know for his alluring, offbeat creations that feature south sea pearls, emeralds and more, Wayne strayed from conventional jewelry design of the time, making such bold decisions as setting a square-cut diamond in the center of a polished orb of black onyx. The Austrian-born designer produced lively pendants, rings and brooches made to resemble frogs, canaries and owls, and with radiant starbursts and clustered stones, Wayne's style was meant to bedazzle as much as it was to stoke the imagination.
Not much is known about the life of Kurt Wayne. He is believed to have been born in 1909, in Vienna, and was reportedly fostered by a jeweler at the age of ten. Under the jeweler's tutelage, Wayne learned about watchmaking and how to work with gold, silver and precious stones.
At the time, the whiplash lines, vibrant materials and dramatic imagery that had characterized the Art Nouveau style — cemented in Viennese culture by artists such as those in the Wiener Werkstätte collective and others working in the Jugendstil style in Germany and Austria — had given way to Art Deco’s geometric diamond brooches and long pearl necklaces.
In 1937, Wayne emigrated to the United States and settled in New York City. He is said to have established his own business in 1945 and found great success in making jewelry. Throughout his career, he developed close ties to the Zale family of Zale jewelers and with Stanley Marcus of Neiman Marcus.
Wayne created imaginative modernist cocktail rings and other accessories during the 1970s and 1980s that are still widely collected today.
Find vintage Kurt Wayne necklaces, earrings and bracelets on 1stDibs.
1980s American Romantic Vintage Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Modernist Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Emerald, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Kunzite, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
20th Century American Modern Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold
1990s American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s European Retro Vintage Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Brown Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Australian Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Black Opal, Opal, Diamond, Platinum
2010s Singaporean Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Kunzite, Yellow Gold
20th Century Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Art Deco Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Yellow Gold
1980s American Retro Vintage Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Emerald, 18k Gold
20th Century American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Artist Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Opal, Platinum
1990s American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Emerald, 18k Gold
1970s American Modern Vintage Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Kurt Wayne Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum