The Modern Guide to Vintage Jewellery - by Beth Bernstein (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Modern Guide to Vintage Jewellery takes the reader on a tour from the 1930s through to the early 1980s, showing how to identify gemstones, materials, styles and much more.

The Modern Guide to Vintage Jewellery takes the reader on a tour of the finest jewelry from the Art Deco glamor of the 1930s through the Retro pre-war and war years, the cocktail suburban lifestyle of the '50s, the rebellious '60s, the glitter and glamor of the '70s disco era and, finally, to new 'career-woman' style of the '80s. Through each period, jewelry historian and collector Beth Bernstein shows how to identify the most popular gemstones, materials, styles and collectible pieces on the market today, as well as divulging invaluable information from dealers and experts.

The book also features stars from Hollywood's Golden Era and beyond, and the renowned jewelers who designed for them and became legends in their own right. Whether you are a novice or consummate collector, a starter vintage dealer, shop owner, burgeoning historian or student, this book is a must-read for all enthusiasts of vintage jewelry.

Review Quotes

"For both newcomers building a jewelry collection and seasoned collectors refining their vaults, The Modern Guide to Vintage Jewellery by Beth Bernstein offers informed, practical guidance. A jewelry historian and journalist--and the author of The Modern Guide to Antique Jewellery and Jewelry: Shining Stars: The Next Generation--Bernstein takes readers on a chronological tour from the late 1920s through the early 1980s. Recently published by ACC Art Books, the volume explores how social change and shifting attitudes toward fashion shaped jewelry design."--Sonia Esther Soltani "The Magazine ANTIQUES, March-April Issue "

"Historian Beth Bernstein presents a new guide to collecting, wearing, and mixing vintage jewelry-from art deco to disco-era icons-revealing how past design shapes modern style."--Sonia Esther Soltani "The Magazine ANTIQUES, March-April Issue"

"A new book by Beth Bernstein highlights the interplay of 20th-century jewelry trends and the socio-cultural events that shaped them."-- "Rapaport"

"In revisiting the decades of the last century, Bernstein, who described the book as a companion to her earlier tome, The Modern Guide to Antique Jewellery, highlighted the pearl's rise and fall in popularity as well as the pearl trends that had an influence on women's style."--Victoria Gomelsky "JCK Magazine"

"Bernstein's latest book, The Modern Guide to Vintage Jewellery, to be published this month, charts the evolution of jewellery design from art deco to the bold styles of the early 1980s."-- "Financial Times"

"The Vintage Jewellery Revival, compelling new book from Beth Bernstein."

"Beth Bernstein's Modern Guide to Vintage Jewellery takes us on a colourful tour through different jewellery styles from the 1930s through 1980s." -- "The Jewellery Edition"

"Through vivid photography and commentary from Bernstein, it explores the popular looks at the time and the changes through the mid- to late 20th century across 216 pages."

-- "National Jeweler"

About the Author

Beth Bernstein is a jewellery historian, author, journalist and one-time jewelry designer. Her books include Jewelry's Shining Stars: The Next Generation (ACC Art Books 2024), The Modern Guide to Antique Jewellery (ACC Art Books, 2022), If These Jewels Could Talk (ACC Art Books, 2015), Jewelry's Shining Stars (Finepoints, 2013), and her memoir, My Charmed Life (Penguin, 2012). She has contributed to many magazines, journals and publications, including D'Origin Magazine, Forbes online, Palm Beach Illustrated, Jewelry Connoisseur, Rapaport Magazine, The Jewellery Editor (online), Accent Magazine, Elite Traveler, Departures and Four Seasons Magazine, among many others. She has worked as a senior editor for two leading national jewelry magazines, and lectures at, organizes and participates in seminars at jewelry fairs and educational events.