Constellation Anklets

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 and gold anklets and other vintage and antique bracelets can provide the oft-needed finishing touch to a formal look for an evening out as easily as they can spice up your daily casual attire.

Anklets date back thousands of years with a history of adornment in South Asia, ancient Egypt and Bronze Age Europe. Unlike some jewelry worn during those earlier centuries, anklets did not convey any class significance among the wearers.

Anklets are also known as ankle bracelets or ankle chains as they tend to consist of thinner materials, whereas bracelets might have thicker fabrics and weightier metals. Over the years, the anklet spread in popularity, particularly in the 1920s — Art Deco jewelry designers frequently incorporated colorful stones in the bracelets of the era — and as part of hippie style in the 1960s.

Today, anklets are a beautiful way to incorporate more jewelry into one’s outfit or ensemble. Some ankle bracelets consist of braided materials while others have luxury gemstones, like diamonds.

Anklets can be found in a range of styles including contemporary, modern, retro and Art Nouveau. Browse an extensive collection of vintage diamond and gold anklets on 1stDibs today.