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
Pink Sapphire, Garnet, 18k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Thai Modern Jewelry
Pink Sapphire, Topaz, Blue Topaz, White Gold
2010s Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, White Gold
2010s English Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Modern Jewelry
Emerald, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Lebanese Modern Jewelry
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Jewelry
Ruby, Pink Sapphire, Diamond, Garnet, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Sri Lankan Modern Jewelry
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Pink Sapphire, Diamond, Quartz, Stainless Steel
2010s British Modern Jewelry
Turquoise, Citrine, Other, Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Jade...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Pink Diamond, Brown Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sap...
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Jewelry
Garnet, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1980s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
2010s German Modern Jewelry
Pearl, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Modern Jewelry
Blue Topaz, Pink Sapphire, Topaz, White Gold
2010s Greek Modern Jewelry
Aquamarine, Emerald, Pink Sapphire, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Multi-gemstone, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sap...
2010s Asian Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s Asian Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Pink Sapphire, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, White Diamond, ...
1990s Italian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Pink Sapphire, Diamond, Quartz, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow ...
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Pink Sapphire, Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Jewelry
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green Sapphire,...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Green Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire,...
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Asian Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s Thai Modern Jewelry
Aquamarine, Pink Sapphire, Silver
2010s Indian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Jewelry
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yell...
2010s British Modern Jewelry
Aquamarine, Carnelian, Chalcedony, Citrine, Diamond, White Diamond, Emer...
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Pink Sapphire, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold, Gold
2010s Italian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Sapphire, Diamond, Pink Sapphire, White Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Platinu...
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Jewelry
Pink Sapphire, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Jewelry
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Pearl, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Sapphire,...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Padparadscha Sapphire , Purple Sapphire, Green Beryl, Green Sapphire, Ye...
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Opal, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, ...
2010s American Modern Jewelry
Quartz, Pink Sapphire, Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Rose Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
