Beauvince Pot Of Gold Citrine Ring

Beauvince Jewelry creates pieces to match what the brand identifies as the “dreams, desires and strengths” of an individual’s unique sense of beauty — the company’s name, a combination of “beauty” and “vincible” is generally interpreted as “with beauty one conquers.” Strength and beauty are definitely qualities that resonate in the contemporary jewelry designs created by the New York City-based boutique and atelier.

Beauvince Jewelry was founded by Komal Bajaj Sankar, a second-generation jeweler who grew up watching her parents operate their own jewelry company, Monique Creations, in Manhattan. Bajaj Sankar originally pursued a career in marketing, but in 2006, she earned her Diamonds Graduate diploma from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), graduated from the GIA’s Applied Jewelry Professional (AJP) Program in 2009 and earned an MBA from the Columbia Business School in 2015. Beauvince was established in 2018.

Beauvince’s artisans use conflict-free sourced colorless and rare colored diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies in their exquisite range of custom fine jewelry. Since its inception, Beauvince’s enticing collections have attracted the attention of discerning jewelry buyers all over the world. 

Introduced in 2019, the Rosalie collection draws on natural-world forms as often as it does the architecture of the Middle Ages. It celebrates strong women and emphasizes the warmth and sensuality of rose gold in the house’s Cassandra, Flora and Lolita cocktail rings as well as a range of drop earrings called the Whirls of Love, Autumn Chandelier, Enya and Fall Diamond. Beauvince Jewelry is also renowned for their diamond engagement rings — consultations are available at the company’s Diamond District atelier — as well as elegant pendant necklaces and a selection of delicate bracelets for day or evening wear.

Find Beauvince Jewelry necklaces, earrings and rings on 1stDibs.

Contemporary jewelry is inextricably linked with the moment in which it is created, frequently reflecting current social, cultural and political issues such as environmental consciousness, identity and sustainability. It’s informed by fashion trends, from the chokers of the 1990s to the large chain necklaces of the early 2000s.

Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of adornment. Lockets made of silver or gold have been treasured gifts for hundreds of years, for example, and charm bracelets, which have existed since prehistoric times, didn’t become especially popular until the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. For many centuries, fine jewelry was used primarily to express wealth or status through lavish materials. Then, in the 1960s, a concept known as the “critique of preciousness” emerged, with jewelers creating pieces that did not get their value from gemstones or precious metals. Instead, it was the jeweler’s artistic vision that was prized and elevated.

This shift still informs Contemporary jewelry being made by artists today. Whether they are using cheap, found materials and working with provocative geometric shapes or seeking out the rarest stones, they are imbuing their work with meaning through their skills, techniques and ideas. Innovative designers such as Elsa Peretti, who popularized sculptural sterling-silver jewelry for Tiffany & Co., and David Yurman, who twisted metal into the simple yet striking Cable bracelet, have also influenced the direction of Contemporary jewelry’s forms and aesthetics.

Meanwhile, technological advancements like metal alloys and laser engraving have led to new possibilities in jewelry design. Now, edgy makers and brands as well as minimalist designers are pushing Contemporary jewelry forward into the 21st century.

Find a collection of Contemporary rings, earrings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.

A flashy symbol of wealth during the early 20th century, antique and vintage cocktail rings have gained broader appeal in the decades since for the hefty dose of glamour they bring to any ensemble.

Cocktail rings earned their name for their frequent appearances during glitzy cocktail parties at the height of the Prohibition era. Back then, these accessories were seen not only as statement pieces but as statements in and of themselves. They openly represented a sense of freedom and independence as well as a demonstration of opulence. After all, the 1920s heralded the Harlem Renaissance and Art Deco design, and a slew of social and cultural shifts meant that women in particular were breaking from pre–World War I conventions and embracing newfound freedoms to express themselves as individuals.

Women expressly wore cocktail rings on the fingers of their right hand versus the left, which was “reserved” for an engagement ring or wedding band, accessories definitely paid for by a suitor. And for cocktail rings, the bigger the colored gem at the center — which is usually mounted in a high setting — and the more elaborate the design, the stronger the likelihood of being noticed.

Cocktail rings remained a popular piece of jewelry for women until the 1930s, when the Great Depression and the onset of war marked a change in behaviors nationwide. While the 1960s and ’70s saw a return in visibility for the accessory, it wasn’t until the 1980s that cocktail rings once again assumed their position as a beacon of luxury and glitz.

During the 20th century, the range of dazzling cocktail rings seems to have been limitless, from glimmering gold rings set with carved jade diamonds designed by David Webb to Pomellato’s pink quartz confections to striking Gucci butterfly rings with accent diamonds set in a pavé fashion.

So, how do you wear a cocktail ring? Cocktail rings “can be worn for almost anything — dinners, date nights, parties, special events, on the red carpet,” explains David Joseph of New York-based jewelry brand Bochic. 

Can you wear cocktail rings with other rings? “In my opinion, cocktail rings should stand on their own since they showcase a large gem in the center,” says Joseph.

These glamorous jewels can be worn inside or outside crowded taverns, in either daytime or nighttime with casual or dressy attire. On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of antique and vintage cocktail rings, including those offered by Chanel, whose elegant cocktail rings often feature pearls and, of course, diamonds, and sometimes were styled after showy flowers like the camellia, and Van Cleef & Arpels, whose detailed and intricate designs are viewed as miniature pieces of wearable art.