Collana Corallo

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.

Diamond, pearl and other antique rope necklaces continue to be worn around the world and across cultures, thanks to their many styles and versatility.

While the term rope necklace may conjure up images of a classic gold link chain with a pattern like a rope, it can refer to any long necklace that drapes over the chest. This can include a string of pearls, a fabric rope with a pendant or a metal necklace made of interlocking links.

Rope necklaces are among the most ancient pieces of jewelry. Even before the Bronze Age, when twisted metal necklaces took hold, rope necklaces were fashioned out of natural materials. One found in Israel, dating back 120,000 years, had seashells painted with ocher on a flax string. Even after all these years, necklaces of any kind remain an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit.

Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging — everything from equestrian-inspired pieces to statement brooches have come into vogue in recent years — the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The artisans at Van Cleef & Arpels, the celebrated French jewelry house that has earned the adoration of modern royals, found lots of inspiration in King Tut, whose burial chamber informed the look of Art Deco necklaces and other adornments of the era. David Webb also looked to history for the design of his necklaces, mining the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Casual beads or a simple pendant can complete a relaxed ensemble, while multiple or heavy jeweled strands can give an outfit instant pizzazz. An antique or vintage rope necklace is the ultimate everyday accessory. Find yours today on 1stDibs.