FRALEONI On Sale
2010s Drop Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Italian Modern Chain Bracelets
Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rhodium
2010s Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Italian Modern Brooches
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Black Diamond, Diamond, Aquamarine, White Gold, 18k Gold
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1960s Pendant Necklaces
20th Century American Antique Books
20th Century American Antique Books
Vintage 1970s Italian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Vintage 1920s Unknown Art Deco Engagement Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum
Vintage 1970s German Art Deco Chain Necklaces
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s German Art Deco Chain Necklaces
Gold Plate
2010s American Modern Engagement Rings
Diamond, Platinum
1990s Beaded Necklaces
South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
2010s Indian Anglo-Indian Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Etruscan Revival Dangle Earrings
Gold Plate, Brass, Gilt Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1950s American Drop Earrings
Gold Plate, Gilt Metal
20th Century Russian Arts and Crafts Dangle Earrings
Topaz, 14k Gold
2010s Indian Anglo-Indian Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Sterling Silver
Antique 1880s American Victorian Drop Earrings
14k Gold
Recent Sales
2010s Italian Modern Tennis Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, White 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.