Melissa Spencer
Early 2000s American Modern Chain Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s American Modern Chain Bracelets
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Cufflinks
Garnet, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Cufflinks
Crystal, Quartz, Sterling Silver
2010s American Modern Cufflinks
Crystal, Pearl, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Gold
2010s American Modern Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Cufflinks
Crystal, Pearl, Quartz, Sterling Silver
People Also Browsed
Antique 18th Century Italian Victorian More Jewelry
18k Gold, Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Antique 1770s Portuguese Georgian Dangle Earrings
Quartz, Rock Crystal, Silver
Antique Late 19th Century Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Hoop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century Pendant Necklaces
18k Gold
Antique 1880s Unknown Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1920s Egyptian Revival Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Retro Brooches
Emerald, Yellow Gold
Antique 1830s British Victorian Signet Rings
Agate, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1920s Vanity Items
Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Artisan Pendant Necklaces
Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1940s American More Objets d'Art and Vertu
14k Gold
20th Century French Vanity Items
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Dutch Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Recent Sales
2010s American Modern Fashion Rings
Diamond, Tanzanite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Fashion Rings
Diamond, Tsavorite, Turquoise, Yellow Gold
Melissa Spencer For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Melissa Spencer?
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.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.
12 Calming Spaces Inspired by Japanese Design
From cherry-blossom-adorned walls paired with glamorous lighting to wood-paneled ceilings above checkerboard-patterned chairs, these 12 spaces seamlessly blend Eastern and Western aesthetics.
Eileen Gray’s Deco Designs Launched Modernism. That Was Just the Beginning
Decades after her death, appreciation for the legendary designer and architect's work continues to flourish.
Harvey Probber Was the Godfather of Modern Modular Seating
The forward-thinking designer is finally getting his due.
20 Artfully Crafted Mirrors to Frame Your Reflection
In "Object Permanence 4," on view at the 1stdibs Gallery, Emma Holland Denvir and Leah Ring have brought together pieces that range from polished to playful.
Roberto Burle Marx’s Bold Brazilian Landscape Design Comes to New York
The New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, has mounted a multifaceted show honoring the polymath modernist's legacy, including new work by contemporary landscape maker Raymond Jungles.