Helicopter Cufflinks
21st Century and Contemporary English Contemporary Cufflinks
Sterling Silver, Silver
2010s Contemporary Cufflinks
Base Metal
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Vintage 1970s English Cufflinks
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Unknown Retro Cufflinks
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1920s English Art Deco Cufflinks
15k Gold
20th Century English Victorian Cufflinks
15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1860s British Victorian Cufflinks
Crystal
Late 20th Century English Modernist Cufflinks
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Cufflinks
Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Cufflinks
18k Gold
Antique 1890s English Cufflinks
Rose Gold, 9k Gold
Vintage 1940s Unknown Cufflinks
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Cufflinks
Silver Plate, Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s French Cufflinks
Onyx, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s German Art Nouveau Cufflinks
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s French Cufflinks
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Unknown Cufflinks
Yellow Gold, 9k Gold
Vintage 1980s English Cufflinks
Enamel, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
A Close Look at contemporary Jewelry
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.
Finding the Right cufflinks for You
Cufflinks rose to popularity during the 1800s as fashionable men sought a refined and elegant solution for keeping their shirtsleeves together. Prior to this accessory, which initially materialized as a simple chain fastened to a button, men were lacing the ends of their sleeves with ribbon or string. Today, there are all manner of antique and vintage cufflinks that add flair and functionality to relaxed casual wear as much as they do for classy formal attire.
It wasn’t long before diamonds, emeralds and other precious gemstones began to appear on cufflinks, a means of adding ornament to clean and starched formal wear. When clothing manufacturers began to produce shirt cuffs and collars with more durable materials during the 19th century, a class of newer, stronger cufflinks gained credibility as being both essential and stylish. In the decades following this era’s design evolution, an entire industry bloomed around the craft of these subtle statement pieces.
Luxury brands more often associated with engagement rings and bracelets, such as Cartier and Tiffany & Co., have added cufflinks to their lines over the years, and jewelry designers, working in numerous styles, have explored the use of different materials and integrated a variety of ornamentation. Understated cufflinks of gold and platinum are guaranteed to cleanly complement any ensemble, while more niche designs allow the jewels to truly shine.
Cufflinks are practical pieces of jewelry that can also be very expressive. Consider the event for which you’re donning cufflinks and accessorize accordingly, but know that a distinctive pair of cufflinks, such as the colorful confections offered by Trianon, can pop against your dressy evening wear. Whether they’re geometric wonders of the Art Deco era, reliably relevant skull jewels or glittering accessories designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, adorned with the maison’s celebrated four-leaf clover or prominent animal motifs, you can delicately break from what can be a stuffy business meeting by introducing personality and pizzazz with a duo of nifty cufflinks.
A carefully chosen set of cufflinks can bring a stylish outfit together — literally. Find a large, luxurious collection of contemporary cufflinks as well as irresistible vintage pieces on 1stDibs today.