Morris David Bracelet

Renowned for innovative designs that combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary style, London jeweler David Morris has been a favorite among discerning jewelry buyers, European royalty and Hollywood stars for the past 60 years.

Morris was born in North London in 1936. He apprenticed as a teenager under a leading jeweler in Hatton Garden, London’s jewelry quarter, and later attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts, where he studied goldsmithing.

In 1962, Morris opened his first atelier. His jewelry designs, which featured valuable gemstones like Colombian emeralds and Kashmir sapphires, soon attracted the attention of London’s wealthy and elite. In 1965, actor Richard Burton purchased for Elizabeth Taylor a heart-shaped diamond necklace that Morris designed. For Prince Charles’s 21st birthday in 1969, Morris was commissioned to design a gold dragon hood ornament for his Aston Martin convertible — the same car driven by Prince William and Catherine Middleton on their wedding day in 2011.

One of Morris’s most famous associations is with the James Bond films — indeed, the franchise’s relationship with jewelry isn’t simply about watches alone. In 1971, Morris created the lavish diamond jewelry prominently featured in the opening credits of Diamonds Are Forever. He also designed the jadeite pendant necklace worn by Bond girl Maud Adams in The Man With The Golden Gun, the Burmese sapphire ring and the diamond scoop necklace worn by Teri Hatcher in Tomorrow Never Dies, and, of course, Denise Richards’s rose-cut and micro-pavé adornments in The World Is Not Enough.

Morris’s company expanded from its initial Mayfair location to its flagship store on New Bond Street in London (established in 1996). The brand has opened several boutiques worldwide. David Morris cocktail rings, drop earrings, studs, pendant necklaces and brooches feature a glittering array of flawless diamonds, vibrant colored gemstones and luminous pearls. Today, the jewelry business is family-run, with his son Jeremy having been at the helm since 2003.

Morris’s jewelry has been featured in exhibitions such as “Designing 007 — Fifty Years of Bond Style,” which opened in 2012 at the Barbican in London. His pieces are also part of the permanent collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

On 1stDibs, find a range of David Morris jewelry that includes rings, earrings and necklaces.

Today, antique and vintage bracelets are versatile and universally loved accessories that can add polish and pizzazz to any ensemble.

Bracelets were among the jewels discovered to have been buried with Pharaoh Tutankhamun when his tomb was unearthed in 1922, and wrist and arm bracelets were allegedly worn by Queen Puabi in Sumer, southern Mesopotamia. But preceding the adornments of Ancient Egypt and elsewhere, the people of prehistoric times likely wore the decorative accessory, fashioning it from shells and fish bones. When the Bronze Age allowed for more durable materials and semiprecious stones to be incorporated into jewelry, bracelets became a treasured symbol of wealth.

In the thousands of years following the debut of the world’s first bracelets, the artistry behind this common accessory has only broadened, with designers at popular jewelry houses growing more venturesome over time. David Webb looked to nature for his Animal Kingdom bracelets, and for her best-selling bracelets and more at Tiffany & Co., Elsa Peretti would frequently do the same. From bangles to tennis bracelets, the modern age offers plenty of options.

Internationally acclaimed bracelet designs have on occasion become powerful symbols of status, style and, in the case of Cartier's iconic design, love. The Cartier Love bracelet can be found on the wish list of most jewelry lovers and on the wrist of some of the world’s biggest stars. Its arrangement of mock screwheads and distinctive functionality — it was initially locked and unlocked with an accompanying vermeil screwdriver — is an enduring expression of loyalty, unity and romance. (Do you know how to spot a fake Cartier Love bracelet?)

While the Love bracelet has played a role in the skyrocketing popularity of cuff-style bracelets, they are far from the only glamorous option for collectors. Make a statement with an Art Deco design, a style that sees all kinds of iterations fitted with studded cuffs, one-of-a-kind shapes and dazzling insets. A chunky vintage gold bracelet in the Retro style will prove eye-catching and elevate any outfit.

One of the best things about bracelets, however, is that you never have to choose just one. Style icon Jacqueline Kennedy stacked her Croisillon bracelets — designed by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. — with such frequency that the ornate bangles were eventually dubbed “Jackie bracelets” by reporters. Contemporary silver pieces can easily complement each other, rendering a layering of luxury almost a necessity.

Find a diverse collection of bracelets that you can sort by style, stone cut and more on 1stDibs.