Stern Pedras Roladas

Born into a Jewish family in Essen, Germany, Hans Stern (1922–2007) fled with his parents to Rio de Janeiro at the onset of World War II. There he landed a job working for the precious stone and mineral exporter Cristab. Thus began Stern’s rise to become “the king of the colored gems,” as the media would dub him, and founder of the family-owned H.Stern jewelry business that now has over 150 stores worldwide.

While working for Cristab, Stern regularly visited mines on horseback. At the remote mines of Minas Gerais, Brazil, he cultivated relationships with many of the miners, developing professional connections that would endure for decades. He also embraced a fascination with the colorful semiprecious stones harvested in the area. In 1945, he started his own company, H.Stern, with the goal of marketing Brazilian gemstones — then virtually unknown on the global stage — to an international audience.

Though the company began as a trader in gemstones, it soon expanded to jewelry, with Stern assembling and training a team of young jewelers. A frequent motif in the company’s designs was the star, as Stern is “star” in German. In 1949, H.Stern opened its first jewelry shop in Rio de Janeiro, but a storefront was not his customers’ only view into the brand’s jewelry-making process. In the 1950s, Stern became one of the first major jewelers to offer tours of his workshop, showing off the creative process and elevating the role of craftsmanship in jewelry design.

Stern’s approach and his vibrant jewels, which favored organic settings designed to show off colorful gems, earned international recognition and put Brazil’s topaz, amethyst and tourmaline on the map. Tourmaline was reportedly Stern’s favorite, and the company’s Rio de Janeiro vaults are also home to Paraíba tourmalines, which are mined in the mountains of Paraíba, Brazil. He recognized the burgeoning tourism industry in the country as an opportunity to promote the beauty of these stones, opening stores in the lobbies of Brazil’s leading hotels and investing in vehicles to bring visitors to the H.Stern headquarters. By the mid-1990s, the company was opening stores abroad and selling jewelry at international department stores.

In the 1980s, the brand debuted its first celebrity collaboration, with French actress Catherine Deneuve. Since then it has worked with partners such as designer Diane von Fürstenberg and architect Oscar Niemeyer. In 2016, Assouline published a book on the 70-year history of H.Stern, from its humble founding to its worldwide acclaim. Today, the company is run by Stern’s son, Roberto, who has introduced a broad range of new collections and styles.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of H. Stern necklaces, rings, earrings and other accessories.

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.

Vintage chain necklaces can make a statement on their own. What’s better than eye-catching chains of yellow gold or subtle silver to accessorize with everything from a designer evening dress to a comfortable sweatshirt?

Personal ornament in general has been around for eons. Ancient Egyptians designed jewelry and wore necklaces, rings and other accessories, and the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber in 1922 had the greatest impact on Art Deco jewelry. When chain necklaces first took on some visibility in ancient civilizations, these items weren’t exactly democratic.

Chain necklaces were accessories that were relegated strictly to royal families and the upper class. In ancient times, pendant necklaces conferred prestige, for example. Wealthy Greeks and Romans opted for gold and silver necklaces that featured ornate pendants and semiprecious stones. By the Renaissance period, the pendant had replaced the brooch as the most worn type of jewelry. Pendant necklaces were commonplace, or pendants were simply strung on long gold chains.

Thankfully, jewelry became more accessible over time. And trends have come and gone, but the popularity of chain necklaces today owes in part to hip-hop culture. Big, chunky gold chains and diamond necklaces were the order of the day in publicity shoots and on album covers for rappers in the early 1980s onward, and a gold chain is still a mainstay in the ever-evolving and broadening hip-hop culture as we know it.

In our modern era, a number of chain-link necklaces are trending, worn alone or layered. The stylish links that have passed the test of time include oval links, paper-clip chains and more. The best way to discover your perfect fit is to zero in on a particular name and type of link.

While it was once key to accessorizing for a formal event, a vintage chain necklace now adds a fresh dynamic to any outfit at any time of day. Find yours on 1stDibs.