Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
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.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Late 20th Century Argentine Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Tiger's Eye
2010s Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Agate, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s English Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
2010s British Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century French Antique Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Topaz, Quartz, Crystal
Mid-20th Century American Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
1960s Finnish Vintage Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Silver
1990s Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Vintage Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
1970s American Vintage Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Australian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
1990s Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
1990s Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
1990s American Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Garnet, Ruby, Yellow Sapphire
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Silver
2010s British Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Blue Sapphire, Tourmaline, Spinel, Green Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Pink...
2010s British Modern Objets d'Art and Vertu
Spinel, Tourmaline, Green Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Blue...
