Pakistan Ruby Stone
2010s Pakistani Art Deco Chain Necklaces
Ruby
Vintage 1980s American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
20th Century Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Peridot, Diamond, Platinum, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century Japanese Modern Engagement Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
20th Century Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
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2010s American Engagement Rings
Aquamarine, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary European Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1950s French Modern Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
2010s British Victorian Three-Stone Rings
Opal, Peridot, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1990s Unknown Artisan Choker Necklaces
Vintage 1950s British Brooches
Ruby, Turquoise, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Brooches
Coral, Turquoise, Gold Plate, Gilt Metal
1990s French Chain Necklaces
Gold Plate
Vintage 1980s Unknown Multi-Strand Necklaces
Freshwater Pearl, Coral
Late 20th Century Chinese Artisan Pendant Necklaces
Gilt Metal
Late 20th Century Pakistani Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Aquamarine
20th Century French Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s German Art Deco Rope Necklaces
Gold Plate
Vintage 1960s Dutch Cocktail Rings
Ruby, Star Ruby, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Art Deco Engagement Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
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2010s Pakistani Modern Cocktail Rings
Ruby
2010s Pakistani Modern Loose Gemstones
Tourmaline
1990s German Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Garnet, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Brooches
Garnet, Ruby, Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Engagement Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Art Deco Natural Specimens
Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Beryl, Emerald
Vintage 1980s Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
2010s Japanese Modern Cluster Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
20th Century Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
Antique 19th Century Indian More Bracelets
Ruby, Turquoise, Rock Crystal, 22k 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.