Modern Jewelry

MODERN STYLE

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.

Creator: Roman Malakov

Style: Modern

Roman Malakov Alternating Princess Cut & Baguette Diamond Eternity Wedding Band

Modern Jewelry

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov Alternating Princess Cut & Baguette Diamond Eternity Wedding Band

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 12.94 Carats Total Round Diamond Double Strand Tennis Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov GIA Certified 10.65 Carat Radiant Cut Diamond Engagement Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 8.17 Carats Total Princess Cut Diamond Cluster Stud Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 2.20 Carat Cushion Cut Sapphire with Diamond Halo Pendant Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov GIA Certified 10.09 Carats Oval Cut Diamond Halo Engagement Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 0.47 Carats Round Diamond Bezel Set Solitaire Pendant Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

GIA Certified 0.71 Carats Emerald Cut Diamond Three-Stone Engagement Ring Style

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 0.65 Carats Total Two Cushion Cut Diamond Halo Stud Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 0.45 Carats Round Cut Diamond Engagement Ring with Side Stones

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

GIA Certified 7.77 Heart Shape Yellow Diamond Double-Sided Pendant Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 1.12 Alternating Blue Sapphire and Diamond Eternity Wedding Band

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 0.11 Carats Total Round Cut Diamond Wheat Style Bangle Bracelet

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 0.40 Carat Total Round Green Emeralds Stud Earrings in White Gold

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 0.27 Carats Round Green Emerald Stud Earrings in White Gold

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 0.88 Carat Total Round Diamond Tennis Bracelet in White Gold

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 1 Carat Total Round Diamonds Five-Stone Wedding Band Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 2.54 Carats Total Mixed-Shape Diamonds Drop Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 1.10 Carats Total Mixed-Shape Diamond Dangle Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 4.62 Carats Rose Cut Diamond Drop Diamond by the Yard Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 3.77 Carats Total Diamonds and Mother of Pearl Long Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 4.75 Carats Total Brilliant Round Diamonds Open Work Bracelet

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 2.68 Carats Total Round Diamond in an Open Work Design Bracelet

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 3.87 Carats Total Round Diamond Circle Pendant Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 3.92 Carats Total Brilliant Round Diamond "O" Pendant Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 1.78 Carat Pear Shape Blue Sapphire and Diamond Pendant Necklace

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 12.03 Carat Total Three Row Mixed Cut Graduating Diamond Bracelet

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov, 1.29 Carat Total Diamond Cluster Stud Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 9.61 Carats Oval Cut Green Emerald Halo Cocktail Fashion Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

GIA Certified 2.74 Carats Radiant Cut Fancy Yellow Diamond Stud Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

GIA Certified 3.87 Carats Radiant Cut Fancy Yellow Diamond Engagement Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 5.33 Carats Radiant Cut Yellow Diamond Halo Eternity Wedding Band

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 4.06 Carats Total Round Diamond Seven Row Pave Dome Wedding Band

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Three-Stone Ruby and Diamond Engagement Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 4.04 Carat Total Round Diamond Eternity Wedding Band Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 6.68 Carats Total Round Cut Diamond Eternity Wide Wedding Band

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 28.17 Carats Total Round Diamond Cluster Wide Fashion Bracelet

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 4.79 Carats Total Brilliant Round Cut Diamond Hoop Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry

Roman Malakov 6.15 Carat Fancy Yellow Diamond Halo Flower Dangle Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry