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.
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cufflinks
Sterling Silver
1960s Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Lapis Lazuli, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Vintage Modern Cufflinks
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Gold Plate
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Cufflinks
Enamel
1980s Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s French Modern Cufflinks
Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Cufflinks
White Diamond, Black Diamond, White Gold
Late 20th Century French Modern Cufflinks
Silver
Early 2000s Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Danish Modern Cufflinks
Sterling Silver
1990s American Modern Cufflinks
Pearl, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Sterling Silver, Gilt Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cufflinks
Steel, Gold, Stainless Steel, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 14k Gold
20th Century Italian Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Cufflinks
Hematite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century German Modern Cufflinks
Gold Plate
1940s English Vintage Modern Cufflinks
9k Gold
1970s American Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Cufflinks
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Indian Modern Cufflinks
Tiger's Eye, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Indian Modern Cufflinks
Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Indian Modern Cufflinks
Malachite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s British Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
1970s Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Jade, Gold Plate
Late 20th Century Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold
1960s Finnish Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Cufflinks
Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Tsavorite, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Jade, Gold Plate, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Jade, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1970s French Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century European Antique Modern Cufflinks
Silver
1970s Finnish Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Silver
Late 20th Century Modern Cufflinks
14k Gold
1970s Finnish Vintage Modern Cufflinks
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Modern Cufflinks
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Cufflinks
Tiger's Eye, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Italian Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s American Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cufflinks
18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s British Modern Cufflinks
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Cufflinks
Pearl, Diamond, Onyx, Gold
20th Century Modern Cufflinks
Sapphire, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Cufflinks
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cufflinks
Diamond, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold