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Modern Lever-Back Earrings

MODERN STYLE

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.

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Creator: Vivid Diamonds
Style: Modern
Vivid Diamonds AGL Certified 10.66 Carat Ruby and Diamond Earrings
Located in Miami, FL
Breathtaking Ruby and Diamond Stud Earrings crafted in Platinum and 18K Yellow Gold featuring two oval cut rubies weighing 10.66 carats total accented by 20 round brilliant cut diamo...
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21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Lever-Back Earrings

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Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Platinum

Vivid Diamonds GIA Certified 9.91 Carat Diamond Flower Cluster Earrings
Located in Miami, FL
Spectacular cluster earrings featuring 10 Marquise and Pear Shape Diamonds weighing 9.91cts, ranging from D-F in color and VVS2-SI2 in clarity. All diamonds are accompanied by GIA Re...
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21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Lever-Back Earrings

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Vivid Diamonds 22.05 Carat Sapphire & Diamond Flower Earrings
Located in Miami, FL
Spectacular Sapphire and diamond leaver back earrings crafted in 18 karat white gold, showcasing 20.05 Carats of invisibly set blue sapphires weighing 22.05 carats, further accented ...
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21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Lever-Back Earrings

Materials

Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold

Vivid Diamonds 25.02 Carat Diamond Cluster Earrings
Located in Miami, FL
Sensational Vivid Diamonds Cluster Earrings crafted by hand in platinum, showcasing 18 mixed pear shape and marquise cut diamonds weighing approximately 25.02 carats total, D-E color...
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21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Lever-Back Earrings

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Vivid Diamonds Sapphire and Diamond Flower Earrings
Located in Miami, FL
Enchanting Sapphire and Diamond Stud Earrings crafted in 18 karat white gold, featuring square cut Sapphires weighing approximately 37.85 carats total, and round brilliant cut diamon...
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21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Lever-Back Earrings

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Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold

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