Isami Doi Mings
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Cufflinks
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Stud Earrings
14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cufflinks
Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Link Bracelets
Jade, 14k Gold
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20th Century Unknown Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Jade, Palladium, Platinum
Vintage 1960s French British Colonial Clip-on Earrings
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Tennis Bracelets
Jade, Pearl, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
1990s American Modernist Bangles
Jade, Pearl, Black Jade, Gold, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Austrian More Bracelets
Palladium
Mid-20th Century Modern Fashion Rings
Jade, 14k Gold
Early 2000s Austrian More Bracelets
Gold Plate, Enamel
2010s Indian Early Victorian Modern Bracelets
Diamond, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Cocktail Rings
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Chinese Artisan Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Stud Earrings
Amethyst, Topaz, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold
Early 2000s French More Bracelets
Palladium, Enamel
Vintage 1970s American Modern Clamper Bracelets
Enamel, Gilt Metal
Early 2000s Austrian More Bracelets
Enamel, Gold Plate
2010s Indian Modern Band Rings
Moonstone, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Bangles
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Hoop Earrings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
A Close Look at modern Jewelry
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.
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