Michael Alexander

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.

We are fortunate to know much of the world’s long and dazzling history of necklaces, as this type of jewelry was so treasured that it was frequently buried with its owners. Today, Van Cleef necklaces, Tiffany necklaces and Cartier necklaces are some of the most popularly searched designer necklaces on 1stDibs.

Lapis lazuli beads adorned necklaces unearthed from the royal graves at the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, while the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber revealed a sense of style that led to a frenzy of Art Deco designs, with artisans of the 1920s seeking to emulate the elegant work crafted by Ancient Egypt’s goldsmiths and jewelry makers. 

In ancient times, pendant necklaces worn by royalty and nobles conferred wealth and prestige. Today, wearing jewelry is about personal expression: Luxury diamond necklaces exude confidence and can symbolize the celebratory nature of a deep romantic relationship, while paper-clip chain-link necklaces designed by the likes of goldsmith Faye Kim are firmly planted in the past as well as the present. Kim works exclusively with eco-friendly gold, and these fashionable, fun accessories owe to the design of 19th-century watch fobs. 

For some, necklaces are thought of as being a solely feminine piece, but this widely loved accessory has been gender-neutral for eons. In fact, just as women rarely took to wearing a single necklace during the Renaissance, men of the era layered chains and valuable pendants atop their bejeweled clothing. In modern times, the free-spirited hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s saw costume-jewelry designers celebrating self-expression through colorful multistrand necklaces and no shortage of beads, which were worn by anyone and everyone. 

Even after all of these years, the necklace remains an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit. Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging, the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The celebrated French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels found much inspiration in King Tut, and, now, their Alhambra collection is a go-to for modern royals. Vintage David Webb necklaces — whose work landed him on the cover of Vogue in 1950, two years after opening his Manhattan shop — were likely inspired by the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt. 

On 1stDibs, browse top designers like Dior, Chanel and Bulgari, or shop by your favorite style, from eye-catching choker necklaces to understated links to pearl necklaces and more.