Wander On Sale
21st Century and Contemporary French Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
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Vintage 1960s Unknown Contemporary Brooches
Cat’s Eye, 14k Gold
Vintage 1970s European Wrist Watches
18k Gold
Vintage 1970s French Art Deco Wrist Watches
18k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century British Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Turquoise, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
Antique 1890s Austrian Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Natural Pearl, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yell...
21st Century and Contemporary Brooches
Amethyst, Chrysoberyl, Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Gold
20th Century Italian Modern Wrist Watches
Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1910s German Art Nouveau Pendant Necklaces
Chrysophrase, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Silver, Enamel
Vintage 1980s American Cocktail Rings
Yellow Sapphire, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
20th Century French Modern Bangles
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Brooches
Chrysoberyl, Diamond, Cat’s Eye, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Enamel, Gold
Vintage 1980s American Brooches
18k Gold
Antique Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Spanish Art Nouveau Multi-Strand Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Enamel
Early 20th Century English Art Nouveau More Jewelry
Opal, Gold, Enamel
Recent Sales
20th Century French Modern Link Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Unknown Modern Brooches
Citrine, Diamond, Pearl, Yellow Sapphire, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s French Modern Modern Bracelets
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.