What is Contemporary Jewellery?

Contemporary jewellery and modern jewellery are interchangeable terms to describe jewellery being made today in a style that is different to how it was designed and made in the past. While some people consider modern jewellery to include items from the 1960's, some people term jewellery from then as vintage. I think the jewellery world has changed so significantly from the 1960's that it is no longer correct to include it in the description of modern jewellery.

What is a contemporary jewellery designer? 

A contemporary jewellery designer is someone who does not simply copy designs from the past but seeks to create new meaning in their work that is relevant to their generation. They can work for a large brand or more often, they will work independently, designing and creating their own unique pieces of jewellery. 

What isn't contemporary jewellery?

Things that are not contemporary jewellery, even if they are made today are, for example, crosses, St Christophers, plain wedding rings, solitaire engagement rings, name necklaces, signet rings and lockets. These are things that people have worn for generations. The same is true for pieces of jewellery in particular styles, such as copies of art nouveau jewellery, medieval jewellery, or even prehistoric copies of jewellery made from shells or bones. These pieces of jewellery have alternative names to describe their classification. Often, fashion magazines will consider these items as contemporary or modern which is incorrect. Just because something is in fashion, it does not make it contemporary design.

How to tell if something is a piece of contemporary jewellery?

Contemporary jewellery adds to the history of jewellery by bringing something new. It can do that through the use of materials not previously used in jewellery. New technology can bring opportunities to jewellers now that were not possible in the past. Scientific discoveries can give our generation new symbols that have meaning to us that previous generations didn't use. The specific values that we share that differ from previous generations can lead to new jewellery designs that seek to express these ideas. Artists who seek to question what jewellery is and what its role is now can change perceptions about jewellery for this generation and for future ones. 

Some examples of contemporary jewellery and contemporary jewellery designers and artists.

The Dead Are Jewels To Me

Dr Maria MacLennan decided to combine her jewellery degree with something completely different that she found fascinating; forensics. She saw jewellery not just as an object for decoration but as a means to identify someone after they have passed away. She is the world's first forensic jeweller and hopes that one day there will be ‘forensic jewellers’ embedded into police forces around the world in the same way artists and forensic artists currently work with the police.

Dr Maria MacLennan worked with filmmaker, Rose Hendry, on short documentary  ‘THE DEAD ARE JEWELS TO ME’ on the BBC Scotland website.

Photo by Claire Maxwell for the Financial Times

Microscopic Precision

Diamond setting has always been a skilled profession but the level of detail and precision possible to achieve has never been as high as it is now, thanks to the use of microscopes in diamond setting. This allows designers to create jewellery that is not only able to be made to a higher standard but also to have innovative and unusual jewellery designs such as this contemporary diamond ring with the diamonds set on the edge. Laying out the stones and setting is still done by hand but being able to see the ring up close allows for a breath taking river of diamonds on the edge of the ring. This style was not made prior to the use of microscopes. The exact spacing has to be calculated each time as a change in finger size or diamond size affects the number of stones needed for each ring. 

A further way to make this design even more complicated is to alter the stones with different colours as was done for this customised version of the ring above. A platinum wedding ring was made for our customer and set with blue and white diamonds. Not only did the spacing have to work to fit the stones on the edge but the spacing had to be calculated so at no point were there two stones of the same colour next to each other.

Our unique Cocktail ring also uses precision setting. Coloured gemstones are set with a rim of diamonds around the edge like salt on a cocktail glass. 

A New Language For Jewellery

As explained earlier things like crosses are not contemporary jewellery but they are an example of something people wore that had an identifiable meaning. Something Christine Sadler has been exploring through her work is how she can add to the language of jewellery to expand it in ways that communicate new and complex ideas. She has achieved this in both her jewellery collections and in commissions of one of a kind jewellery that she has made for her clients.  

The DNA helix shape is used in her Designer Genes collection to show a connection between family members. It is a recognisable symbol today that had no similar meaning to previous generations who did not know about the distinctive twisted ladder shape of the genetic polymer. 

Another of her collections that show a bond is Stay Together. Like a piece of modern sculpture, the Stay Together collection holds the piece of jewellery together not by soldering it but by creating a hole that a piece of gold is threaded through and wrapped around. 

This collection expresses the idea that a bond is not forced or permanent but created through a mutual opening that is filled with something precious. Desire has to be voluntary and mutual for friends or lovers to create a lasting connection.

Christine has created many collections of jewellery that have meaning expressed through the visual appearance of the piece of jewellery. The ideas that she seeks to express are important values that society shares. In addition to her collections that you can buy she works by commission, creating piece like this engagement ring that was designed to look like an old building that had collapsed and been overgrown by nature. 

The blog about this design explains in full the process of the design and making of the piece as well as the meaning behind it. Our connection with nature and awareness of the destruction our actions are causing is a very contemporary and current topic. 

Another very special piece of contemporary jewellery that Christine designed was a ring that was inspired by sound. 

This unique piece of jewellery explores the connections we make with love, music, grief and healing. 

Mourning jewellery is not a new thing but exploring how to create a design that is inspired by music is a contemporary and innovative idea. 

Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist. 

Contemporary jewellery designers have freedom that goldsmiths in the distant past have not had to explore and experiment. However, most jewellery is still classed as an accessory. In the past, goldsmiths were paid to make jewellery to demonstrate wealth by rich patrons. This meant that experimental ideas could not be explored. Today, not a lot has changed for most jewellery. Most companies are still just trying to sell a lot of jewellery for the most profit possible and sadly that means that most jewellery design is dictated by trends rather than by artists. Who decides these trends? Large corporations backed by fashion magazines. 

If you want a real piece of contemporary jewellery you would be better to look for independent jewellers who are not employed by a large company. 

One such independent designer is Joy Toledano who designs her jewellery like a magical trick. We discovered Joy's designs at Vicenzaoro in 2024. We loved her diamond rings that she says she designed to look like tattoos. The diamonds float on the surface of the finger attached by a nylon band. The use of innovative materials and her individual interpretation of jewellery as a tattoo is very contemporary. Joy owns and runs her own company Mysteryjoy and she is committed to making all of her designs in France.

The choice to make the ring part invisible but still durable enough for everyday wear is definitely breaking the rules. 

Independent artists who also design jewellery can also be a great way to discover contemporary jewellery design. Can Sun is a Chinese artist whose work mainly focuses on the absurdity of the world and the relationships between people. Using daily objects that people tend to ignore Sun creates playful and self-mocking sculptures.

He designed a ring that has a traditional shape but has a section that turns. The ring has a fixed surface has the word “Fuck,” while the six rolling surfaces are engraved with the words: “you,” “me,” “love,” “future,” “lies,” and “everything.” The ring moves to make different phrases. 

This jewellery expresses a sense of anger. The rules that jewellery should be beautiful and glamourous are broken here to give more of a sense of the way people today feel about their lives.

In the past, it has been frowned upon to discuss difficult emotions or for people to admit that they are struggling with something. Today, we know that it is very important that people express themselves freely without being judged. Learning to love yourself may not be a contemporary need but it is definitely something that wasn't encouraged by society before. 

Hero is a collection of jewellery by Christine Sadler that uses her artistic freedom to create designs which convey the beauty that lies in the terrible things that happen. 

The rules are, after soldering a piece of jewellery, you clean off any marks that are created when heating the piece. When working with jewellery, Christine noticed the beautiful colours and unique markings that were created. She thought about how these marks were part of the journey that the piece had been through to become what it was so she began to experiment. She heated pieces of silver past the cherry red glow that she had been told never to heat them beyond. The surface melted and cooled in unique patterns. She repeated this again and again until she found the exact look that she liked. Then she thought about how she could put this piece of jewellery through more trials. She hammered it and cut into it, scored and scratched it. She cut ragged grooves into it to make it look as if it was starting to break.  

To show the strength of spirit that it takes to withstand these events, she set a single diamond. She also added a hole which is something that people have used in the past as a lucky symbol. The hole in a warrior's tomb is added to allow the spirit to travel freely, a quality that she thinks is essential for resilience. 

Each one of the pieces in the Hero collection are unique and it is impossible for two items of jewellery to look the same after going through this process. That conveys the idea that our unique experiences are not something that anyone else will ever experience in the same way. 

Christine was prepared for people not understanding or liking this collection but it meant so much to her she added it to her shop. Not only have people understood the collection but they have taken it and added so much personal meaning to it by relating it to their lives in a way that has taught her to appreciate it more. 

When the piece is worn, areas that were dark start to polish up in a unique way. Customers have shared with her that they feel this is part of the healing process and that they are actually helping this to happen by wearing it. 

Another collection of Christine's jewellery that breaks with convention is Fairypools. This unique collection of jewellery uses three different diamond setting styles in the same ring and has diamonds only on one side of the band. 

New Materials

The use of new materials in jewellery makes it a piece of contemporary design. 

Lab Diamonds are the most exciting thing to happen to the jewellery world in recent history, or perhaps, ever. The creation of an identical object that uses considerably less energy, does not require harmful mining and which makes diamonds much more affordable is revolutionary. It is a form of alchemy so spectacular that the idea was never even thought of in fiction. Turning base metal into gold seemed more realistic than converting CO2 into diamonds. In a world where there are more and more people and fewer resources we all need to find ways to do more with less and Lab Diamonds are setting a very good example of how to achieve this. 

Another material to be used in jewellery in recent years is black ruthenium which is a Platinum Group Metal. It is a rare precious metal in the same family as platinum and rhodium and has similar characteristics. Jorge Revilla uses black ruthenium on his contemporary jewellery designs, combining them with gold plating to make them opulent. 

The Kymbal collection is inspired by rain drums. Used in South East Asia, rain drums were objects that were placed outside so that the monsoon rains created music. The word Kymbal is a unique onomatopoeic word invented by Jorge to evoke the sound of the drums. The pieces in the Kymbal collection have circular discs that are textured as if water droplets have left their mark on the surface. 

Contemporary jewellery that is sculpture

Mariko Kusumoto challenges the idea of jewellery as an accessory and some of her designs are not even intended to be worn. Working with fibre, resin, and metal,  Kusumoto is a great artist to explore when thinking about the relationship between sculpture and jewellery and whether there should be a distinction between jewellery that is mass produced and jewellery which is art. 

Wearable sculpture was what Christine was exploring when she designed her contemporary Puzzle ring. 

Where to find contemporary jewellery

You are unlikely to find contemporary jewellery on a Google search because jewellery companies that mass produce fashion jewellery will pay large amounts of money to appear higher than most independent designers. You will also be unlikely to find contemporary jewellery in high street jewellers as by their nature, many independent artists create their work in limited numbers because their pieces are made by hand and High Street jewellers want to be able to buy items that they can replace with the same design to sell again. This lack of supply for the demand creates a toxic environment where independent designers put in all the creative work and unscrupulous manufacturers copy the designs, selling them in quantity to high street jewellers. 

Manufactured abroad and mass produced, this intellectual property theft does a huge amount of damage to the jewellery trade and many designers have left the trade to work elsewhere because of it. 

It is vital that when you find a piece of contemporary jewellery you love that you buy it from the designer or from a reputable company selling their work. 

You can purchase our designs and Jorge Revilla's on our website and you can find links in this blog to the websites of the artists mentioned. 

Finding contemporary jewellery is a bit of a treasure hunt. Look online in places like Instagram for people making their own jewellery designs, follow museums and galleries to see who they are featuring and visit degree shows from art schools near you. You may also enjoy visiting international exhibitions such as MIDA in Florence that features jewellery and other works of art and food. Make your journey to find contemporary jewellery fun and support a living artist who wants to bring something new to the world of jewellery.