Jose Hess Garden Lights

Jose Hess concentrated on mentoring emerging designers by teaching jewelry design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He worked as a consultant to jewelry companies in the United States and abroad — in order to help them improve their design and manufacturing methods — and designed a collection of jewelry that was featured on TV and online, with Jose having done the presentations live on air.

An industry leader, Hess was the first American president of CIBJO, an international trade association whose mission is to establish uniform standards for the jewelry space worldwide. He was a former president of the 24 Karat Club of New York City, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Silversmiths of America, and the Plumb Club.

Mentor and educator Hess taught model-making at the Fashion Institute of Technology and often addressed student groups on goldsmithing and jewelry design. A winner of numerous jewelry design award competitions, including the prestigious De Beers Diamonds International award, Hess was frequently recognized for his talent. His jewelry has been prominently featured in W, InStyle, Mirabella, Town & Country, Vogue, and a variety of other magazines.

Hess’s work is often seen on the glamorous Hollywood circuit, with celebrities such as Demi Moore, Cindy Crawford, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Candy Spelling wearing pieces from his collection. Hess won the 1963 DeBeers Diamonds International (1958–1964); Certificate of Commendation – Diamonds International Awards (1978); Certificate of Distinction, Art Direction magazine (1978); and more.

Find Jose Hess rings, necklaces, earrings and other jewelry 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.

Vintage choker necklaces are elegant, alluring and stylish. Cameos, pearls, diamonds and other stones can decorate these necklaces, which come in single or multiple strands. Whether it is a statement piece or a delicate chain, these short necklaces always stand out and turn heads.

The history of the choker can be traced back thousands of years, with Sumerian examples discovered from 2600–2500 B.C. They endured as a popular form of adornment through the centuries, and during the French Revolution they took on a symbolic significance. Women wore ribbons around their throats to mark the passing of those killed by the guillotine. Soon, the plain ribbons were adorned with small cameos and other ornamentation.

European choker necklaces gained a salacious reputation in the 19th century when prostitutes were associated with black ribbons tied around the neck, such as the model in Édouard Manet’s Olympia (1863). Queen Alexandra, Princess of Wales, reversed the trend in the late 19th century by wearing a large pearl and diamond choker, reputedly to hide a scar.

Fashioned from gold, pearls and other precious stones and metals, chokers continued to be worn into the 20th century, alternately statements of wealth and rebellion. They experienced periods of revival in the 1920s, ’40s, ’70s and ’90s for both men and women.

Vintage chokers make a statement with an unmistakable air of femininity. On 1stDibs, find an alluring collection of vintage chokers today, including gold, sapphire and emerald chokers.