Modern Beaded Necklaces
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 American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, South Sea Pearl
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beaded Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Pearl, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Beaded Necklaces
Onyx, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, South Sea Pearl
2010s Italian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Quartz, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Polynesian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Black Pearl
Mid-20th Century Chinese Modern Beaded Necklaces
Jade, 14k Gold
2010s Hong Kong Modern Beaded Necklaces
Crystal, Onyx, Rock Crystal, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Asian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Quartz, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Italian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Coral, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
18k Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Unknown Modern Beaded Necklaces
Amethyst, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, White Gold, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Onyx, Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Modern Beaded Necklaces
Garnet, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s European Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
Malachite, Sterling Silver
1950s Czech Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Black Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Aquamarine, Diamond, Gold
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Malachite, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, ...
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Beaded Necklaces
Jade, Pearl, 14k Gold
1980s European Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Italian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Agate, Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Chinese Modern Beaded Necklaces
Jade, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Opal, Emerald, Onyx
1980s Unknown Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
Diamond, Multi-gemstone, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Pearl, Spinel, Black Spinel, Sterling Silver, Rhodium
Early 2000s Modern Beaded Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Pearl, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Modern Beaded Necklaces
Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Beaded Necklaces
Ruby, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Brass
1980s American Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
Brass, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Brass
1990s Unknown Modern Beaded Necklaces
Malachite, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century Modern Beaded Necklaces
Jade, Pearl, 14k Gold
2010s Modern Beaded Necklaces
Tanzanite, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
2010s American Modern Beaded Necklaces
Quartz, Sterling Silver
1960s American Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
Gold Plate
Early 2000s Italian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Late 20th Century French Modern Beaded Necklaces
18k Gold
1980s French Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
1950s French Vintage Modern Beaded Necklaces
Early 2000s Brazilian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Italian Antique Modern Beaded Necklaces
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Beaded Necklaces
Amethyst, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Modern Beaded Necklaces
Emerald, Pearl, Vermeil