Kilkenny Design Workshops
Late 20th Century Finnish Modern Dinnerware and Flatware Sets
Vintage 1960s Unknown Modern Pendant Necklaces
Gold
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Boxes and Cases
Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Early 2000s French Cocktail Dresses
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Vintage 1950s Choker Necklaces
Sapphire, White Gold
Vintage 1960s French Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Platinum
Vintage 1920s German Art Deco Boxes and Cases
Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver
1930s German Miscellaneous
20th Century Romantic Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Vintage 1970s Unknown Art Deco Engagement Rings
Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold, Gold
Vintage 1930s Art Deco Boxes and Cases
18k Gold
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
20th Century French Modern Chain Necklaces
Coral, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century Japanese Decorative Objects
Antique 1890s Russian Late Victorian Boxes and Cases
Agate, Pearl, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, En...
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Engagement Rings
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Diamond, Platinum
A Close Look at 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.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.
12 Calming Spaces Inspired by Japanese Design
From cherry-blossom-adorned walls paired with glamorous lighting to wood-paneled ceilings above checkerboard-patterned chairs, these 12 spaces seamlessly blend Eastern and Western aesthetics.
Eileen Gray’s Deco Designs Launched Modernism. That Was Just the Beginning
Decades after her death, appreciation for the legendary designer and architect's work continues to flourish.
Harvey Probber Was the Godfather of Modern Modular Seating
The forward-thinking designer is finally getting his due.
20 Artfully Crafted Mirrors to Frame Your Reflection
In "Object Permanence 4," on view at the 1stdibs Gallery, Emma Holland Denvir and Leah Ring have brought together pieces that range from polished to playful.
Roberto Burle Marx’s Bold Brazilian Landscape Design Comes to New York
The New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, has mounted a multifaceted show honoring the polymath modernist's legacy, including new work by contemporary landscape maker Raymond Jungles.