Aenea Sarpa
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Cocktail Rings
Chrysoberyl, White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Drop Earrings
Amethyst, White Diamond, Palladium
2010s Austrian Modern Drop Earrings
Citrine, White Diamond, Platinum, Rhodium, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Multi-Strand Necklaces
White Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Blue Sapphire, White Gold, Palladium
2010s Austrian Modern Cufflinks
Amethyst, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Rhodium, White Gold
2010s Austrian Modern Cufflinks
Amethyst, White Diamond, Black Diamond, White Gold, Rhodium
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Fashion Rings
Platinum, Rhodium, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Multi-Strand Necklaces
Coral, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Palladium, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Solitaire Rings
White Diamond, Emerald, Platinum, Rhodium, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold, Ye...
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Cufflinks
Pink Sapphire, Rhodium, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Dangle Earrings
Coral, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Fashion Rings
Citrine, Platinum, Rhodium, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Engagement Rings
White Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Dangle Earrings
Coral, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Rose Gold
2010s Austrian Modern Hoop Earrings
Emerald, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
2010s Austrian Modern Fashion Rings
Emerald, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Hoop Earrings
Emerald, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold, Rhodium
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Beryl, Green Beryl, Sterling Silver
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Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
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Diamond, Pearl, Gold, White Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Opal, Black Opal, South Sea Pearl
Antique 19th Century Italian Beaded Necklaces
Coral, Yellow Gold
2010s French Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Antique Late 19th Century Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, Silver
Mid-20th Century Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
18k Gold
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20th Century Unknown Multi-Strand Necklaces
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Brooches
Crystal, Amethyst, Diamond, Garnet, Lapis Lazuli, Rock Crystal, Turquois...
Vintage 1950s Choker Necklaces
Sapphire, White Gold
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Diamond, Garnet, Rock Crystal, Ruby, Tiger's Eye, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Wrist Watches
Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Cuff Bracelets
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Fashion Rings
Aquamarine, White Diamond, Platinum, Rhodium, Silver
Aenea Sarpa For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Aenea Sarpa?
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.