For now, modern jewelry consists of pieces created since 1970. There isn’t one definite style that dominates this period because many new designs have been created and many older periods have been replicated.

Many contemporary designers use any technique they can think up while others rely heavily on ancient techniques in new forms. For instance, wedding bands are being made of Damascus steel, which consists of many layers of forged steel — a technique that has been used since 1100 AD in Middle Eastern sword making.

Today, there are designers of all types including large multi-line manufacturers, highly prized exclusive designers and small, local artists. With the variety of designers comes a variety of quality, as well. This provides jewelry styles for everyone in every price range.  Like clothing, jewelry is used as a fashion statement and styles fluctuate with each season.

Polished gold and sleek lines were prominent in the 1980s and early 90s. Bracelets, earrings and rings with invisible-set diamonds, marquise shapes and tapered baguettes were used frequently, as well as clusters of small diamonds. Colored diamonds gained popularity in the 1990s. According to Christie’s Fine Art Auctioneers, the increase in was due in part to the ”concerns about quality and origin of gemstones.” 

In the early 2000’s white gold or platinum solitaire engagement rings were all the rage and square or princess cut diamonds were the center stone of choice for younger brides. In the last few years, vintage-inspired designs have regained popularity for engagement rings. This includes micro-pave designs and halos surrounding the center diamond.

Rose gold has made a comeback and there is hardly any material that a designer won’t at least experiment with when designing jewelry. Wedding bands are being made of colored ceramic, steel, tungsten, titanium, palladium and we’ve even seen wood.

Of course the variety of materials creates a new set of concerns and more information of which consumers need to be aware. While titanium is light weight, it can’t be sized so men choosing a titanium wedding band better not want to wear if for the rest of their lives since most all people have to alter the size of their rings as they age. Tungsten rings won’t scratch, but they have to be broken off if they get stuck on a finger since you can’t easily cut through them. 

It certainly will be exciting to see what new and creative jewelry the designers will think up next — especially since gold is skyrocketing and many people cannot afford to spend gobs of money on jewelry right now. One of the biggest trends right now is the use of large, “semi-precious” gemstones like green amethyst, blue topaz, smoky quartz and created sapphires. They are relatively inexpensive so you get a big look for less money than the “classics” like ruby, sapphire and emerald.