Kasumi Pearl

Michael Kneebone’s exquisite jewelry creations are handmade works of art; no two pieces are alike. The master goldsmith has been creating captivating adornments for more than 50 years. His dangle earrings, beaded necklaces and cocktail rings have a contemporary style yet use traditional materials like pearls and colored gemstones.

Kneebone’s love for jewelry began when as a young man in Deerfield, Illinois, in 1970, he took a jewelry class. It inspired him to earn a degree in jewelry design from Northern Illinois University. Following an apprenticeship with designer Harriet Dreisiger, Kneebone began selling his creations through Saks Fifth Avenue. 

In 1994, Kneebone started his own company, Michael K. Jewels, and opened a store in Naples, Florida. He later set up shop on the famous Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but decided that the winters were too cold. Kneebone moved the store to El Paseo in Palm Desert, California, but kept the name Canyon Road Collection.

In California, Michael Kneebone jewelry found its home. His pieces were perfectly suited to the fashion-forward Coachella Valley tastes. “Interest in colored gemstones has increased dramatically,” Kneebone said in 2019, “and so too has interest in colored pearls.” His work reflects these trends by showcasing stunning gemstones, including amethyst, sapphire and pearls, in a plethora of shapes, sizes and hues. As seen in his eclectic bracelets, Kneebone is not afraid to experiment with unique materials such as coral and stingray shagreen.

Kneebone’s jewelry grew in popularity among prominent women in the Coachella Valley community over the years, with many wearing it to black tie events and non-profit fundraisers, further raising the jeweler’s esteem. His jewelry has also made appearances at fashion luncheons at local upscale restaurants. In 2014, it was featured in the grand finale of the Fashion Show and Luncheon at the Joslyn Center in Palm Desert.

Kneebone continues to make handcrafted jewelry in his home studio, focusing on elegant yet versatile pieces for today’s casual lifestyles.

On 1stDibs, find Michael Kneebone earrings, necklaces, rings 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.