David Webb White Horse Bracelet

“Women are tired of jewelry-looking jewelry,” celebrated American designer David Webb once noted. In response, he created a menagerie of whimsical animals rendered as rings, brooches, earrings and, especially, bangle bracelets. This playfulness permeates all Webb’s work, which is characterized by brightly hued enamel and color-saturated semiprecious stones like coral, azurmalachite and turquoise, the notable exception being the clear, elegant rock crystal for which he had an affinity.

The North Carolina native apprenticed with his uncle, a silversmith, before moving to New York, where he established David Webb Inc. in 1948. He had no formal training in jewelry design. Instead, he culled inspiration from the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Americas, as well as the traditions of India and China — influences discernible in such pieces as his collar necklaces and talisman-like sautoirs. 

Webb’s first animal bracelet was produced in 1957. His most famous, the zebra, took shape in 1963; its stripes now form the company’s logo. Although Webb died in 1975, his company continues to produce designs drawn from his extensive archives, and every piece is still made in the workshop above its Madison Avenue store.

Find an alluring collection of David Webb jewelry on 1stDibs, including earrings, brooches and other accessories.

From vibrant to subtle, elegant to cheeky, vintage and antique enamel jewelry and watches encompass a wide range of colors and styles, and there are almost as many techniques for creating these distinctive pieces.

Enameling is one of the oldest forms of surface decoration, used to add color to jewelry without having to rely on gemstones. Evidence of enameling goes back to ancient Greece. Throughout history, far-flung cultures favored different techniques. For example, cloisonné enamel was popular during the Byzantine Empire, while artisans living in France and Germany in the Middle Ages preferred champlevé. And Art Nouveau jewelry designers favored plique à jour.

At its core, enamel is the fusion of powdered glass to metal, and artists like enameling because it allows them to add a painterly or illustrative quality to their work.

Cloisonné (“cell” in French) is a technique in the creation of enamel jewelry that sees the use of thin wires of fine silver or gold to outline a design, which is then filled with enamel. The piece is subsequently placed in a kiln where the enamel is melted. Cloisonné is distinct because the individual wires remain visible, forming an outline of the motif.

Champlevé (“level field” in French) enamel is almost the opposite of cloisonné. In this technique, depressions in the metal are made by etching, engraving or chiseling, and then layers of enamel are built up until they rise slightly above the surface of the metal. The enamel is then fired and polished.

Guilloché is a technique in which translucent enamel is applied to a piece of metal that has had designs cut into it using a lathe. After the firing, the patterns on the metal become visible. Guilloché was made famous by Peter Carl Fabergé, whose jewelry house used the technique on many of its objets d’art as well as jewelry.

Find antique and vintage enamel rings, bracelets, necklaces and other accessories on 1stDibs.

Antique diamond rings, diamond tiaras and dazzling vintage diamond earrings are on the wish lists of every lover of fine jewelry. And diamonds and diamond jewelry are primarily associated with storybook engagements and red-carpet grand entrances — indeed, this ultra-cherished gemstone has a dramatic history on its hands.

From “A Diamond Is Forever” to “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” pop culture has ingrained in our minds that diamonds are the most desired, the most lasting and the most valuable gemstone. But what makes the diamond so special? Each stone — whether it’s rubies, sapphires or another stone — is unique and important in its own right. April babies might claim diamonds for themselves, but just about everyone wants this kind of sparkle in their lives!

There are several factors that set diamonds apart from other stones, and these points are important to our gem education.

Diamonds are minerals. They are made up of almost entirely of carbon (carbon comprises 99.95 percent; the remainder consists of various trace elements). Diamonds are the hardest gemstones, ranking number 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Even its name, diamond, is rooted in the Greek adamas, or unconquerable. The only object that can scratch a diamond is another diamond. Diamonds are formed deep within the earth at very high temperatures (1,652–2,372 degrees Fahrenheit at depths between 90 and 120 miles beneath the earth’s surface) and are carried up by volcanic activity. Diamonds are quite rare, according to the Gemological Institute of America, and only 30 percent of all the diamonds mined in the world are gem quality.

In the 1950s, the Gemological Institute of America developed the 4Cs grading system to classify diamonds: clarity, color, cut and carat weight. Not all diamonds are created equal (there are diamonds, and then there are diamonds). The value of the diamond depends on the clarity (flawless diamonds are very rare but a diamond's value decreases if there are many blemishes or inclusions), color (the less color the higher the grade), cut (how the diamond’s facets catch the light, certain cuts of diamonds show off the stone better than others) and carat weight (the bigger, the better).

When you start shopping for a diamond engagement ring, always prioritize the cut, which plays the largest role in the diamond's beauty (taking the time to clean your diamond ring at least every six months or so plays a role in maintaining said beauty). And on 1stDibs, a range of buying guides can be found for those in the market for antique engagement rings, vintage engagement rings or Art Deco engagement rings. 

Shop antique and vintage diamond rings, diamond necklaces and other extraordinary diamond jewelry on 1stDibs.