Fred Force Ten

Fred Paris’s fine jewelry sparkles with joyful exuberance. Although it was founded almost a century ago, the brand has long been considered a leader in modern and contemporary jewelry design. Each bold cocktail ring, elegant pair of drop earrings and glamorous necklace is imbued with a vibrant personality. 

Fred Paris was the vision of master jeweler Fred Samuel. The son of a French jeweler, Samuel was born in Argentina in 1908. As a young man, he moved to Paris for an apprenticeship and opened his own jewelry shop there in 1936. Samuel was known for his casual yet sophisticated style, working with diamonds, pearls and colored gemstones to create smart jewelry for all occasions. 

Some of Samuel’s most high-profile clients included Princess Grace of Monaco and the King and Queen of Nepal. The sign above his storefront on the Rue Royale initially was branded with the founder’s full name, but during the 1940s, the “Samuel” part came down. Today jewelry lovers commonly know the company as Fred, a brand operated by Fred Paris.

Samuel created his famous Force 10 bracelet collection in 1966, and it became one of the brand's signature pieces. Inspired by its creator’s love for the sea, the Force 10 bracelet features a braided steel sailing cable and a gold buckle. The simple but versatile design is endlessly customizable to go with any wardrobe.

In 1996, Fred Paris was acquired by luxury holding company LVMH (which went on to purchase Tiffany & Co. and Bvlgari). Fred Samuel passed away in 2006, but Fred Paris continued his legacy in jewelry. The brand's next significant collection was the 2016 Chance Infinie line, which paid homage to the creativity and playfulness of the company's founder.

Today, Fred Paris is a key component of LVMH’s luxury ambitions. The brand has continued to enjoy significant growth since 2020, contributing to its popularity and esteem.

In 2021, Fred Paris launched the Pretty Woman collection, named for the iconic ruby and diamond heart necklace Julia Roberts wore in the 1990 film, which producers had found at the Fred Paris boutique on Rodeo Drive. The company’s artistic director is Samuel’s granddaughter, Valérie Samuel, who has also worked with Swarovski and Lalique over the years.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Fred Paris rings, earrings, bracelets and more.

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.

Throughout history, people have worn rings as symbols. They represented wealth and power for kings. Rings, whether fine jewelry or vintage fashion rings, have been given as gifts to mark significant occasions and accomplishments in life. They are also seen as a sign of love when worn on a certain finger.

For enthusiasts of costume jewelry, which is typically designed to accessorize with current fashions and made of inexpensive materials, there has been no shortage of coveted rings created over the years by the likes of J Dauphin, Miriam Haskell and others. A range of fashion rings created in ceramic or embellished with rhinestones — the latter a source of instant, affordable glamour — have also been designed at Chanel. The founder of the internationally revered luxury house, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, loved costume jewelry but couldn’t resist designing jewelry with diamonds.

Signet rings are one of the oldest types of rings. They often have a family crest or seal engraved on the ring that the wearer can imprint into melted wax. Although most people don’t use wax seals anymore, signet rings are an enduring style.

The type of metal chosen for a ring is an important factor in its design. Gold is a classic choice for fine jewelry, and, for costume jewels, gold offers a range of hues that includes yellow gold, white gold and rose gold. Platinum is becoming a popular choice for its elegance. For fashion jewelry lovers, silver rings remain a must-have accessory, particularly those embellished with turquoise or coral.

A stone can add a pop of color or allure to a ring. Many people choose to wear rings featuring their birthstone. Diamonds are popular with those seeking the perfect engagement ring (a search that can prove intimidating), and they also make beautiful fashion rings, from solitaire rings with single stones to rings with groups of stones.

Zircon rings are similar to diamonds and come in various colors. Some rings feature a large stone surrounded by smaller stones in a halo. They can all be the same stone, or they can have different stones to include more colors.

Fashion rings are an easy way to add jewelry to any outfit. Find a collection of vintage fashion rings on 1stDibs that have glitz and glamour to match your style.