Dalmatian Jasper Earrings

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.

Earrings have a rich, diverse history, and while there are many types of this accessory to choose from, the dangle style is one of the most enduring designs. Today antique and vintage dangle earrings are timeless adornments that can make any outfit instantly more glamorous.

One of the oldest known pairs of dangle earrings was made of jade between 7,500 and 8,200 years ago in Inner Mongolia. Hoop earrings — of which there have been countless variations — are as old as Ancient Mesopotamia, and Ancient Egyptians wore dangle earrings that had sacred symbolism as part of their jewelry practices. In ancient Rome, dangle earrings with pearls and other precious materials were popular.

Dangle earrings vary in length, but they are all designed to cascade off the ears. Some dangle earrings barely fall past the bottom of the earlobe while others fall low enough to graze the shoulders or even fall past them. During the Renaissance period, women wore up-do hairstyles so they could show off their dangle earrings. Even noblemen joined the trend, donning a sole dangle earring adorned with a pearl.

Georgian women preferred heavy girandole earrings that featured candelabra-like arrangements of precious metal and stones. Dangle earrings in the 19th century were simpler, often featuring a single suspended gemstone in a drop-earring style. Going into the 20th century, screw-back earrings and clip-ons became popular, leading to more minimal stud designs. However, dangle earrings have always come back into fashion.

Whether they are made with diamonds, beads or feathers, dangle earrings are statement pieces reflecting the shifting styles over the years. Find the perfect antique and vintage dangle earrings for any occasion on 1stDibs.