CULTURE

Back Track

Jewelers give Eighties accoutrements a brand-new slant.


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Eighties retro-futurism is back in style. The old-school funk of chunky gold and bold geometrics that, for a time, was as dated as DOS now looks superfresh—and high-end, thanks to jewelers who have mined the motif. The results are a mix of tony trimmings and casual allure. At Mouawad, Andrea Lieberman takes a downtown detail—studs—way upscale on sharp, square-cut gold bracelets, some trimmed in diamonds. The effect is a little punk, a little Park Avenue princess. Likewise for Mark Davis, whose Bakelite ring is one big stud. And Rado’s ceramic watch might channel the sporty digital relics of the Atari era with a slick black band, but a closer look reveals a face with three diamond-traced dials. That’s hardly old news.

From top: Rado’s ceramic and diamond watch, $3,500, at Tourneau, 866.597.0595; Andrea Lieberman for Mouawad’s 22k yellow gold bracelet, $22,000, and 18k white gold and diamond bracelet, $30,000, at Barneys New York, New York, 212.826.8900; Mark Davis’s 18k rose gold and Bakelite ring, $2,990, at Barneys New York, New York.