Modern Jewelry
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 American Modern Jewelry
Citrine, Topaz, Blue Topaz, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century British Modern Jewelry
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gold Plate
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Australian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Jewelry
Sterling Silver
2010s Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Rose Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Modern Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Modern Jewelry
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Jewelry
Pearl, Turquoise, 14k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Aquamarine, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s French Modern Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1970s French Vintage Modern Jewelry
1980s French Vintage Modern Jewelry
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Sterling Silver
1990s American Modern Jewelry
1950s British Vintage Modern Jewelry
Carnelian, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Mixed Metal
1980s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Mixed Metal
1970s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gold Plate
1960s Unknown Vintage Modern Jewelry
Kunzite, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gold Plate
1980s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Mixed Metal
2010s Indian Modern Jewelry
Onyx, Pearl, Peridot, Gold Plate, Rhodium
1880s Antique Modern Jewelry
18k Gold
20th Century Modern Jewelry
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1950s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gold Plate
1970s French Vintage Modern Jewelry
Sterling Silver
1950s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gold Plate
1970s Swiss Vintage Modern Jewelry
Stainless Steel
1980s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Modern Jewelry
Mixed Metal
1970s Swiss Vintage Modern Jewelry
Stainless Steel
2010s Dutch Modern Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Mixed Metal
1970s Swiss Vintage Modern Jewelry
Stainless Steel
1960s Canadian Vintage Modern Jewelry
1960s Swiss Vintage Modern Jewelry
Stainless Steel
1970s Swiss Vintage Modern Jewelry
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Modern Jewelry
1990s American Modern Jewelry
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Pink Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Indian Modern Jewelry
Tourmaline, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
2010s Belgian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Topaz, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Agate, Amethyst, Citrine, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Quartz, Topaz, Blue Topaz, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1970s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Vintage Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold