20th Century

From Unique to Mass-Applicable - the Development of Jewellery in the 20th Century

Jewellery as a decorative art has always been subject to the trends of the respective current art epoch but has always retained its stylistic autonomy. This is particularly true for the jewellery of the 20th century: On the one hand, influences from Art Nouveau, Art Deco or abstract art were formative; on the other hand, completely new design possibilities emerged with the possibilities of mass production from the middle of the century onwards, which gave jewellery design, but also the meaning of jewellery, a completely new perspective. Where goldsmiths used to be at work making perfectly shaped unique pieces with traditional artisanship, rings, bracelets, necklaces and the like were suddenly available for little money in department stores. One thing, in particular, became clear: unique jewellery from the 20th century did not have to be expensive.

New Materials, Shapes and Colours: So Versatile is 20th-Century Jewellery

Gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds - while only precious and valuable materials were used to create high-quality jewellery in earlier epochs, the 20th century saw the emergence of entirely new materials. Silver and gold were still in vogue, but now plastics were added, which shone with unprecedented colours and made a whole new variety of shapes possible. The classic shapes and functions remained: A distinction was still made between rings, bracelets, necklaces, hair accessories, anklets and the like - but the design became increasingly experimental and broke away from classical conventions.

Creativity and Genius: 20th Century Jewellery Designers

Paloma Picasso, Elsa Peretti, Jean Michel Schlumberger - they belong to the most famous designers from the house of Tiffany, a jeweller or brand that has shaped 20th-century jewellery like no other. Other famous brands and their designers have also left their mark on the jewellery world of the late second millennium: Wellendorff, Cartier, Bulgari and Piaget, are just a few of them. The extremely expensive pieces of the luxury brands have understandably little in common with the mass-produced goods from the department stores - after all, this is where exclusive materials meet unique goldsmith's art.

Jewellery of the 20th Century at ars mundi

If you would like to buy jewellery from the 20th century at ars mundi, you do not have to dig quite as deep into your wallet as you would for a classic design by Tiffany or Cartier. With us, you'll discover renowned contemporary 20th-century artists who have produced eye-catching creations or taken inspiration from famous 20th-century works. From Constanzo Mongini to Petra Waszak to designs by Frank Lloyd Wright, Robert Delaunay or Friedensreich Hundertwasser - immerse yourself in our jewellery world and let yourself be enchanted.