Wine Window Firenze

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.

Vintage and antique dinnerware and flatware sets add charm to any gathering, large or small. Sophisticated homeowners who are drawn to impressive champagne covers or sterling-silver dishware or spoons when it’s time to set the table will enjoy transforming their kitchens and dining rooms with these utilitarian yet ornamental objects.

Antique platters and serveware bring luxurious style to a dinner party while being durable heirlooms, and a good dinnerware set, perhaps embellished with a lovable pattern, is a must-have.

Sterling-silver flatware and other tableware is likely to last a lifetime if it is used mostly on special occasions. Your dining table is extra special over the holidays, for example, when more loved ones join the fray and the conversation is heightened with the excitement of the season. There are alluring dinnerware and flatware sets available for everyday use as well.

For more frequent use, porcelain, bone china or stoneware are durable choices that will look lovely on your dining table. Thoughtful place settings will help bring cohesion to your dining room, with sets typically designed to accommodate three, four or five places at the table.

Find attractive antique and vintage dinnerware and flatware sets in a variety of designs and styles on 1stDibs.