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.
2010s Swiss Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Quartz, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Quartz, Yellow Gold
2010s Greek Modern Jewelry
Peridot, Quartz, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Greek Modern Jewelry
Aquamarine, Quartz, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Quartz, Diamond, Amethyst, Yellow Gold, White Gold, Rose ...
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Indian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Modern Jewelry
Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Quartz, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Turquoise, Amethyst, Emerald, Malachite, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Amethyst, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Greek Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Tourmaline, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Quartz, Diamond, Amethyst, Yellow Gold, White Gold, Rose ...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Amethyst, Peridot, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Quartz, Diamond, Amethyst, Yellow Gold, White Gold, Rose ...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Tourmaline, Quartz, Iolite, White Diamond, Diamond, Gold, White Gold, Ro...
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Amethyst, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Whi...
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Jewelry
Peridot, Diamond, Quartz, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Swiss Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Tsavorite, Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Pearl, Amethyst, Citrine, Cultured Pearl, Silver, Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Chrysophrase, Diamond, Quartz, 14k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Italian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yel...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Amethyst, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Citrine, Quartz, Amethyst, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Swiss Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Gold, White Gold
1960s Austrian Vintage Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Turquoise, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow...
Early 2000s Italian Modern Jewelry
Citrine, Quartz, Silver, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Moonstone, Quartz, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold, White...
2010s Turkish Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Rose Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Amber, Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Swiss Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Tsavorite, Diamond, White Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Jewelry
Ruby, Topaz, Amethyst, Citrine, Quartz, 18k Gold, Gold
2010s Italian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Brown Diamond, Quartz, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Moonstone, Quartz, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, White Diamond, Peridot, Quartz, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k ...
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Crystal, Black Diamond
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
Onyx, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Quartz, Topaz, 14k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Jewelry
Amethyst, Quartz
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Topaz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Brown Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold