Modern Cufflinks
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.
1990s British Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, Onyx, Gold
1990s Japanese Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 14k Gold, Silver, Mixed Metal, Shakudo
1990s American Modern Cufflinks
Tiger's Eye, Yellow Gold
1990s European Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
1990s Swazi Modern Cufflinks
Sapphire, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1990s Brazilian Modern Cufflinks
Lapis Lazuli, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s American Modern Cufflinks
White Gold
1990s American Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1990s British Modern Cufflinks
Enamel, Gold, 18k Gold
1990s English Modern Cufflinks
Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s English Modern Cufflinks
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1990s Swiss Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Modern Cufflinks
Opal, 18k Gold
1990s English Modern Cufflinks
Onyx, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Modern Cufflinks
Carnelian, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1990s Unknown Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s British Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, Enamel, Sterling Silver
2010s Hong Kong Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Unknown Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Rock Crystal, Sapphire, Crystal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century Modern Cufflinks
Emerald, Onyx, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Modern Cufflinks
Ruby, Tiger's Eye, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Modern Cufflinks
Onyx, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s American Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Gold-filled
Late 20th Century Modern Cufflinks
Tiger's Eye, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Silver Plate, Enamel
1990s Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s British Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Modern Cufflinks
Opal, Gold, Platinum
1990s American Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Swiss Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Modern Cufflinks
Pearl, Sterling Silver
1990s Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, Onyx, White Gold
1990s Unknown Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Modern Cufflinks
Coral, Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
1990s Swiss Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold