Hammerman Brothers Fine Aquamarine

Vintage Hammerman Brothers jewelry is a visual feast. Whether modern or retro in style, the pieces created by this fine American jewelry house include everything from audacious cocktail rings in yellow gold to expressive animal brooches set with diamonds and rubies. A member of the Hammerman family oversees the production of every piece, and each accessory is stamped with the Hammerman Brothers maker's mark.

The Hammerman Brothers company traces its history back to the 1780s when a young man left Eastern Europe to become a watchmaker. Fast-forward to the 1930s in New York City: three of his descendants — brothers Benjamin, Bernard and Hyman Hammerman — found themselves working on Bowery Street, then a prominent hub for American diamond jewelry. After serving in the army in World War II, the brothers opened their own fine watch and jewelry company in 1946.

The company's breakthrough design came in the 1950s when Benjamin Hammerman created a line of women's bracelets that incorporated a watch. Decorative watches are considered by some to be among the world’s most versatile accessories, and the goal at the Hammerman firm was to elevate a simple, everyday necessity into a piece of fine jewelry, and it worked. Over the subsequent decade, Hammerman Brothers created numerous bracelet watches, and during the 1960s, the company designed gold bracelet watches for the Accutron. Developed by American watchmaker Bulova, the Accutron was the world's first watch that made use of a tuning fork to keep accurate time. 

The Hammerman Brothers brand has only continued to grow in fame and prestige. The company’s jewelry is in high demand at auctions, and vintage Hammerman Brothers rings are frequently sought after as wedding bands. The company is still family-run, with a store located in New York City.

On 1stDibs, find Hammerman Brothers necklaces, rings, brooches and more.

Contemporary jewelry is inextricably linked with the moment in which it is created, frequently reflecting current social, cultural and political issues such as environmental consciousness, identity and sustainability. It’s informed by fashion trends, from the chokers of the 1990s to the large chain necklaces of the early 2000s.

Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of adornment. Lockets made of silver or gold have been treasured gifts for hundreds of years, for example, and charm bracelets, which have existed since prehistoric times, didn’t become especially popular until the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. For many centuries, fine jewelry was used primarily to express wealth or status through lavish materials. Then, in the 1960s, a concept known as the “critique of preciousness” emerged, with jewelers creating pieces that did not get their value from gemstones or precious metals. Instead, it was the jeweler’s artistic vision that was prized and elevated.

This shift still informs Contemporary jewelry being made by artists today. Whether they are using cheap, found materials and working with provocative geometric shapes or seeking out the rarest stones, they are imbuing their work with meaning through their skills, techniques and ideas. Innovative designers such as Elsa Peretti, who popularized sculptural sterling-silver jewelry for Tiffany & Co., and David Yurman, who twisted metal into the simple yet striking Cable bracelet, have also influenced the direction of Contemporary jewelry’s forms and aesthetics.

Meanwhile, technological advancements like metal alloys and laser engraving have led to new possibilities in jewelry design. Now, edgy makers and brands as well as minimalist designers are pushing Contemporary jewelry forward into the 21st century.

Find a collection of Contemporary rings, earrings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.

Today, it would be tough to track down a jewelry lover who doesn’t have a stack of vintage and contemporary bangles and other bracelets ready to go for any occasion.

People have worn bangles and other bracelets for centuries. Examples can be found in the wide range of personal adornments favored by the Ancient Egyptians, some of whom wore bracelets and armlets made of gold and flecked with gemstones such as lapis and turquoise.

Fashion has evolved over the years, but the popularity of bangles has remained the same. Jewelry makers have created cuffs in all manner of styles, and no matter what your taste, you can find antique and vintage diamond bangles, ruby bangles, emerald bangles and more to suit you and to pair with any of your favorite ensembles. And although “bracelets” and “bangles” are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two.

Bangles are solid, one-piece bands that are always characterized by their rigid ring shape. Today, they’re made of metal, plastic, wood or other materials. Because this cuff is a solid piece, you have to slide it over your hand. Bracelets, however, are flexible pieces. Whether they’re charm bracelets, link bracelets, beaded bracelets or another variety, you open and close a bracelet at its ends, where it locks around your wrist with a clasp.

Bracelets and bangles suit most anyone, and there’s a style of bangle for every occasion, whether you’ve opted for an Art Deco bangle, a Victorian-era bangle or another kind. And their versatility doesn’t end there. Jewelry lovers know that when it comes to bangles (and other kinds of bracelets), you never have to choose just one. Just as you might wear a vintage tennis bracelet by itself or pair it with other thin bracelets, you can opt for a simple pared-down look with a single bangle or go big and stack your sculptural modern bangles to deepen their impact or double up your classic gold bangles and pair them with a T-shirt and jeans or a comfortable cotton day dress.

Browse an extensive collection of vintage and contemporary bangles and other bracelets on 1stDibs. Find extraordinary works by iconic jewelry houses such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and David Webb, or peruse the array of link bracelets, cuff bracelets and diamond bangles for innumerable accessorizing options.