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.
Late 20th Century Austrian Modern Jewelry
Crystal, Gold Plate, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
Lapis Lazuli, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Modern Jewelry
Sterling Silver
1990s Italian Modern Jewelry
Late 20th Century French Modern Jewelry
18k Gold
2010s British Modern Jewelry
Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Purple Sapphire,...
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
Chalcedony, Pearl, Gold Plate, Silver
Late 20th Century French Modern Jewelry
18k Gold
1960s French Vintage Modern Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Jewelry
Aquamarine, Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
20th Century Spanish Modern Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s French Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gilt Metal
2010s British Modern Jewelry
Aquamarine, Pearl, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
Pearl, Sapphire, Gold Plate, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
Garnet, Pearl, Gold Plate, Silver
Early 2000s American Modern Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
About Angara:
At Angara, every piece of jewellery is a handcrafted expression of love and individuality. We design with intention—using vivid coloured gemstones and ethically...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold
1980s Dutch Vintage Modern Jewelry
Chrysophrase, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century French Modern Jewelry
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
Pearl, Sapphire, Gold Plate, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Spanish Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, Gold Plate, Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Modern Jewelry
18k Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Modern Jewelry
Alexandrite, Diamond, Platinum
20th Century Modern Jewelry
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century French Modern Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Go...
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
14k Gold, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Italian Modern Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Tanzanite, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Amethyst, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Emerald, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Jade, Platinum
Early 2000s English Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, White Gold
Early 2000s French Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
18k Gold, Sterling Silver
20th Century Modern Jewelry
Pearl, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
2010s Dutch Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
1980s French Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gilt Metal
About Angara:
At Angara, every piece of jewellery is a handcrafted expression of love and individuality. We design with intention—using vivid coloured gemstones and ethically...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Topaz, Blue Topaz, Silver, Sterling Silver
About Angara:
At Angara, every piece of jewellery is a handcrafted expression of love and individuality. We design with intention—using vivid coloured gemstones a...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Garnet, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Blue Sapphire, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
Diamond
1980s Dutch Vintage Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold
Early 2000s French Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Jewelry
Carnelian, Pearl, Gold Plate, Silver
About Angara:
At Angara, every piece of jewellery is a handcrafted expression of love and individuality. We design with intention—using vivid coloured gemstones and ethically...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold
About Angara:
At Angara, every piece of jewellery is a handcrafted expression of love and individuality. We design with intention—using vivid coloured gemstones and ethically...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Amethyst, Gold
1990s French Modern Jewelry
Gilt Metal
1960s American Vintage Modern Jewelry
Gilt Metal
1990s Italian Modern Jewelry
1980s French Vintage Modern Jewelry
Enamel
About Angara:
At Angara, every piece of jewellery is a handcrafted expression of love and individuality. We design with intention—using vivid coloured gemstones and ethically...
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Jewelry
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold
1990s French Modern Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Jewelry
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Dutch Modern Jewelry
Opal, Gold, 18k Gold
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