Modern Band Rings
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-20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Sapphire, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, White Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, White Gold, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
White Diamond, Blue Diamond, Brown Diamond, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Whi...
20th Century Italian Modern Band Rings
Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, White Gold, 10k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Gold, Enamel, Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Modern Band Rings
18k Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s British Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Band Rings
Platinum
Mid-20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
1950s British Vintage Modern Band Rings
Ruby, Diamond, White Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Band Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Late 20th Century Modern Band Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Australian Vintage Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century Canadian Modern Band Rings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold
1990s French Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Band Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s French Vintage Modern Band Rings
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Band Rings
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Band Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, 24k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s British Vintage Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Gold
20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Band Rings
Jade, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
18k Gold
1980s British Vintage Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Ruby, White Gold
1950s British Vintage Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold
1990s Unknown Modern Band Rings
Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
Late 20th Century North American Modern Band Rings
Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Band Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Band Rings
18k Gold, Sterling Silver, Copper, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Gold, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Band Rings
Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Band Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Modern Band Rings
Black Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Modern Band Rings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Platinum
20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Amethyst, Gold, 14k Gold
1950s British Vintage Modern Band Rings
Gold
1950s British Vintage Modern Band Rings
Platinum
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Band Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel