Organic Shapes, Abstract Forms, Yellow Gold, Turquoise, Coral, Texture, Mod, Pop Art, Hippies, The Great Society, Space Age, The Beatles and tremendous social change all defined the 1960s.
In 1960 John F. Kennedy was elected as President of the United States. Clothing styles were put together and ladylike with gloves, pillbox hats and a demure strand of pearls accessorizing a simple sheath dress or suit. By the end of the 1960s, hippies were on the streets protesting the Vietnam war. Bright colors, bold color blocking, miniskirts and go-go boots were of the moment and as the decade progressed, the bohemian look began to take hold as styles became more casual and free from the strict rules of earlier decades.
Jewelry Gets Bigger
The 1960 were a time of extraordinary change. The U.S. and Russia were competing to see who could land on the moon first, civil rights were in the spotlight and the British Invasion saw rock ‘n roll rise to the top of the charts as the Beatles took over the world. Jewelry designs echoed the times. The formal matched sets of the previous decade were being replaced with bigger, bolder more colorful jewelry that reflected a changing world that was more casual. Exotic influences from India and other foreign lands were incorporated into jewelry design. Unlike previous decades when there was jewelry for day and jewelry for night, the 1960s had more of an anything goes attitude and it became acceptable to wear any type of jewelry at any time.
The Hollywood Connection
Hollywood was also putting jewelry in the limelight. In 1961, the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s was released. The iconic Fifth Avenue jeweler played its own part in the film and its star Audrey Hepburn wore the Tiffany Diamond on her press tour to promote the movie. While filming Cleopatra in Rome, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton made headlines with their shopping sprees at Bulgari. The lovebirds continued to make news worthy jewelry purchases throughout the decade. Harry Winston made its own press by loaning jewelry to movie stars for various events. These high-profile celebrity connections put jewelry front and center in the minds of consumers.
Color Takes Centerstage
The diamond-centric look of the previous decade began to see color take centerstage. Like the changing times, 1960s jewelry saw a shift away from traditional faceted gemstones set in platinum or white gold and a movement to textured yellow gold set with colored gemstones. Cabochon cut colored gemstones became a popular choice in the 1960s, they had a “new, modern” feeling to them and they changed the look of a design. The smoothness of the cabochons provided a distinct contrast to the textured metals that embraced the stone. The combination of textured yellow gold and cabochon gemstones was a chic evolution in jewelry style. It fit the more casual dress code that was coming into play during the 1960s. It also put hardstones such as lapis lazuli and malachite – which are perfectly complemented by yellow gold — front and center. Oversized rings, bracelets and necklaces began to emerge.
1960s Jeweled Menagerie
Brooches were still in demand during the early 1960s but they were generally smaller than in previous eras. Birds, animals, flora and fauna as well as abstract shapes were all interpreted in a more playful manner. David Webb created many of his bejeweled creatures — frequently in the form of brooches, bracelets or rings — during the 1960s, which were wildly popular and are highly collectible.
By the end of the 1960s the Vietnam war was raging, psychedelia was everywhere and it was the “dawning of the age of Aquarius”.
Top of Page: Diamond, carved coral and 18-karat gold starburst brooch, signed Kutchinsky, circa 1969.
Diamond, platinum and 18-karat gold cous cous bracelet, circa 1960s; Coral, chrysoprase and textured 18-karat gold earrings, signed Boucheron, circa 1960s; Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, screenshot of movie trailer, 1963, WikiCommons, Public Domain; Cabochon no heat ruby, diamond and 18-karat gold cocktail ring, French, circa 1960s, accompanied by an AGL report; David Webb 18-karat gold ox ring, circa 1960s.
Authored by Amber Michelle