Olmec Jade Bracelet

Fascination with the Jazz Age is endless, and even today jewelry designers continue to be inspired by authentic Art Deco jewelry and watches.

The Art Deco period, encompassing the 1920s and ’30s, ushered in a very distinct look in the design of jewelry. There were many influences on the jewelry of the era that actually began to take shape prior to the 1920s. In 1909, Serge Diaghilev brought the Ballet Russes to Paris, and women went wild for the company’s exotic and vibrant costumes It’s no wonder, then, that jade, lapis lazuli, coral, turquoise and other bright gemstones became all the rage. There already existed a fascination with the East, particularly China and Japan, and motifs consisting of fans and masks started to show up in Art Deco jewelry.

However, the event that had the greatest influence on Deco was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922. When the world saw what was hidden in Tut’s burial chamber, it sent just about everyone into a frenzy. Pierre Cartier wrote in 1923 that “the discovery of the tomb will bring some sweeping changes in fashion jewelry.” And he couldn’t have been more right. “Egyptomania” left an indelible mark on all of the major jewelry houses, from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Georges Fouquet. (Cartier created some of the most iconic jewelry designs that defined this era.)

While a lot of Art Deco jewelry was black and white — the black coming from the use of onyx or black enamel and the white from rock crystal and diamonds — there is plenty of color in jewelry of the era. A perfect accent to diamonds in platinum settings were blue sapphires, emeralds and rubies, and these stones were also used in combination with each other.

Many designers employed coral, jade and lapis lazuli, too. In fact, some of the most important avant-garde jewelers of the period, like Jean Després and Jean Fouquet (son of Georges), would combine white gold with ebony and malachite for a jolt of color.

A lot of the jewelry produced during this time nodded to current fashion trends, and women often accessorized their accessories. The cloche hat was often accented with geometric diamond brooches or double-clip brooches. Backless evening dresses looked fabulous with sautoir necklaces, and long pearl necklaces that ended with tassels, popular during the Edwardian period, were favored by women everywhere, including Coco Chanel.

Find unique Art Deco necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.

Bracelets are one of the oldest forms of adornment, with a stone bracelet found in the Altai Mountains of Siberia believed to be linked to the extinct Denisovans, relatives of the Neanderthals. With the accessory enduring in popularity through the ages, there is now a range of styles, with hundreds of thousands of stunning antique and vintage bracelets available to explore. Among this vast selection are fashionable retro bracelets.

What’s the difference between retro and vintage? Generally, the answer is time. “Retro” frequently refers to items from the recent past. Vintage pieces can be several decades old but are not old enough to be considered antiques.

Retro bracelets can feature the bold candy colors of the 1960s, the precious-metal glam of the 1980s or the contemporary luxury of the 1990s. Diamond retro bracelets, and diamond bracelets generally, are often trustworthy investments, as diamonds tend to hold their value and appreciate over time. They’re also imbued with a classical elegance that makes any wrist glow.

Some of the gorgeous bracelets and retro bangles on 1stDibs originate from designers and locales that are off the beaten path, making them standout pieces in any jewelry box. Browse the wide catalogue of diamond, gold and antique retro bracelets and other jewelry today.