Modern 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 Necklaces
Pearl, 14k Gold
2010s American Modern Necklaces
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Italian Modern Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Tourmaline, Paraiba, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
20th Century French Modern Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Modern Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Colombian Modern Necklaces
Emerald, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, White Gold
2010s Swiss Modern Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Necklaces
White Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1980s American Vintage Modern Necklaces
Mixed Metal
Early 2000s American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Yellow Gold, White Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Necklaces
Rose Gold
1990s Unknown Modern Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Necklaces
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Amethyst, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
1990s French Modern Necklaces
1990s French Modern Necklaces
Malachite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Swiss Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Necklaces
Labradorite, Pearl, Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French Modern Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Lapis Lazuli, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Black Pearl, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
1970s American Vintage Modern Necklaces
Late 20th Century Swiss Modern Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s French Vintage Modern Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold
2010s North American Modern Necklaces
Emerald, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century German Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s French Vintage Modern Necklaces
Bronze
Late 20th Century Spanish Modern Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Hong Kong Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Jade, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Hong Kong Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Necklaces
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Modern Necklaces
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1980s Unknown Vintage Modern Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
2010s American Modern Necklaces
Crystal, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Ruby, Diamond, Platinum
1960s Vintage Modern Necklaces
Jade, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Zambian Modern Necklaces
Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Modern Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Necklaces
Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Modern Necklaces
Zircon, 18k Gold, Gold Plate, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1990s Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Necklaces
Turquoise, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold