Modern Drop 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 Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Drop Necklaces
Sapphire, Peridot, Multi-gemstone, Diamond, Citrine, Amethyst, Rose Gold...
2010s Turkish Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, Amethyst, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Turkish Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Bulgarian Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, 14k Gold
2010s Turkish Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, Yellow Sapphire, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Drop Necklaces
Freshwater Pearl, Peridot, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, Onyx, White Diamond, D...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Peridot, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Greek Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, Quartz, White Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Greek Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Iolite, Peridot, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1960s American Vintage Modern Drop Necklaces
Pearl, Peridot, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Drop Necklaces
Amethyst, Citrine, Peridot, Tanzanite, 18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Modern Drop Necklaces
Pink Sapphire, Jade, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Multi-gemstone, Opal, Peri...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Drop Necklaces
Morganite, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Drop Necklaces
Garnet, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Peridot, Gold, Yellow Gold, 10k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Drop Necklaces
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Modern Drop Necklaces
Opal, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
20th Century Chinese Modern Drop Necklaces
Jade, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Drop Necklaces
Citrine, Peridot, Tourmaline, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s Unknown Vintage Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Peridot, Platinum
2010s American Modern Drop Necklaces
Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century Unknown Modern Drop Necklaces
Pearl, Diamond, Peridot, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Drop Necklaces
Citrine, Peridot, Rubelite, Topaz, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Amethyst, Citrine, Multi-gemstone, Peridot, Sapphire, 14k Gold,...
1990s Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Peridot, Pink Sapphire, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Peridot, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Drop Necklaces
Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Other, Diamond, Emerald, Multi-gemstone,...
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Drop Necklaces
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater P...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Peridot, Other, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue S...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Drop Necklaces
Peridot, Diamond, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Drop Necklaces
Amethyst, Diamond, Garnet, Morganite, Peridot, Sapphire, Spinel, Tanzani...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Drop Necklaces
Coral, Topaz, Citrine, Peridot, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold