18k Brutalist
Mid-20th Century Swiss Modernist Chain Necklaces
18k Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Druzy, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Cluster Rings
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Modern Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s More Rings
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Unknown Modern Cuff Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1970s Italian Modernist Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Canadian Modernist More Jewelry
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Multi-Strand Necklaces
Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s French Other Decorative Bowls
Agate, Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Artisan Cocktail Rings
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Arts and Crafts Cufflinks
Opal, Black Opal, 18k Gold
Early 2000s American Artisan Dangle Earrings
Citrine, Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s American More Rings
18k Gold, Sterling Silver
2010s Australian Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Citrine, Yellow Gold, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Vintage 1950s Swiss Modern More Earrings
18k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Fashion Rings
Diamond, Amethyst, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Modernist Cocktail Rings
White Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Artisan Drop Earrings
Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s French Modernist Modern Bracelets
18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Swiss Modernist Clip-on Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Cuff Bracelets
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Italian Band Rings
18k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modernist Cufflinks
Jade, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Chain Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Artisan Choker Necklaces
Citrine, 18k Gold, Gold
Mid-20th Century Canadian Modernist Brooches
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Band Rings
White Diamond, 18k Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Cocktail Rings
Onyx, Tiger's Eye, Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Finnish Modernist Link Bracelets
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
Vintage 1960s Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Greek Modernist Clip-on Earrings
Amethyst, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Contemporary Link Bracelets
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century North American Modernist Brooches
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Canadian Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Kunzite, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Modern Band Rings
Aquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Modernist Link Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel, Gold
Vintage 1970s Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Greek Modernist More Jewelry
Rock Crystal, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s American Artisan Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, 22k Gold, 24k Gold
Late 20th Century Canadian Modern Cocktail Rings
18k Gold
Vintage 1960s American Modernist Dangle Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Finnish Modernist Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Modern Bangles
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Fashion Rings
Amethyst, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Swiss Modernist Clip-on Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Swiss Modernist More Earrings
18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Brooches
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Modernist Brooches
Lapis Lazuli, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Swiss Modernist Cocktail Rings
Tourmaline, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Retro Cocktail Rings
Opal, Fire Opal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Modernist Cocktail Rings
Coral, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century North American Modernist Brooches
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s British Modernist Link Bracelets
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1960s Post-War Link Bracelets
Ruby, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
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18k Brutalist For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 18k Brutalist?
Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.