Art Deco's Jewelry Revival: A New Generation's Interpretation of 1920s Glamour
A renewed enthusiasm for the aesthetic principles of Art Deco has recently swept through the realm of jewelry. This revival has ushered in a dazzling array of ornamental elements, including intricate dangling earrings, necklaces adorned with tassels, and gemstone-studded chokers, all of which are increasingly becoming integral to daily attire as a testament to individual style.
The Resurgence of Art Deco in Contemporary Jewelry Design
This renaissance is largely attributed to an emerging cohort of jewelry creators who are skillfully capturing the sophisticated yet lavish spirit of the 1920s Art Deco movement through a modern perspective. Among them, Brazilian-born fine jewelry artisan Fernando Jorge infuses his Deep Vertex collection with architectural Art Deco motifs, utilizing geometric formations crafted from materials such as onyx, jade, and mother-of-pearl. Similarly, Sophie Buhai has garnered recognition for her sculpted jewelry and utilitarian objects, meticulously fashioned from recycled silver and various semi-precious stones including jade, carnelian, and lapis lazuli.
New York-based designer Julia Ferentinos, the visionary behind Juju Vera, adopts a distinctly sculptural approach in her creations. Her designs frequently feature spirals, fan patterns, and Greek key motifs, combining polished silver with intricately carved stones, delicate tassels, or brilliant diamonds. Ferentinos, a 2026 CFDA finalist with Greek ancestry, explains her fascination: “I am captivated by Art Deco’s capacity to transform ancient inspirations into modern expressions. It beautifully merges diverse influences I admire—from Greco-Roman architecture and Ancient Egyptian art to Asian lacquer work and Viennese Secessionism—all presented with an emphasis on elegance, balance, and restraint.”
A comparable interplay of structural precision and graceful fluidity is evident in the work of Silvia Dusci at Le Sundial. Her pieces are characterized by elongated proportions and striking material juxtapositions. For example, her Dune necklace intricately weaves champagne-hued freshwater pearls, black onyx beads, and raw red coral onto strands of waxed cotton. Dusci, who is based in Milan, notes, “Even at its most architectural, Art Deco retained an underlying sense of glamour, tactile richness, and fantasy—this inherent duality has profoundly shaped my approach to jewelry design.”
The enduring allure of Art Deco-inspired jewelry lies in its subtle complexity; there is always more to discover than initially perceived. Embracing this trend is about skillfully crafting contrasts. Ferentinos advises opting for a single statement piece rather than excessive layering to achieve effortless elegance. She particularly appreciates “the striking beauty of polished, ornate silver against subdued textures such as silk or black velvet.” Dusci shares a similar philosophy, favoring the combination of contrasting colors and materials, pairing opulent embellishments with simpler garments, or blending ivory tones with equally soft materials like grey pearls. She describes this approach as possessing “a very quiet and sophisticated charm.”
