Designing jewelry has long been an irresistible sideline for architects, a delicate alternative to their usual fare of buildings and furnishings. Midcentury modernists like Ward Bennett experimented with hammered-brass pendants, and Frank Gehry debuted squiggly silver bangles and earrings for Tiffany in 2006. buyers of these objects fall into two categories. “Some people are just looking for a standout piece to wear, and others already collect the architects’ work,” explains Sara Benda, who heads the New York jewelry gallery Afsoun. “Jewelry has the advantages that it does not take up much room and it’s relatively affordable, compared with furniture.”

High-profile New York museum shows, such as last summer’s “Wiener Werkstätte Jewelry” at the Neue Galerie, have been fueling the market. “Museums are finally regarding this material at the same level as the architects’ other output,” benda says. At auction, the ornaments tend to appear in design, rather than jewelry, sales. “Often the base materials are not precious—this is not about carats,” explains Philippe Garner, the international head of the 20th-century decorative-art and design department at Christie’s New York. “the appeal comes from an association with the architects.”

See our photo gallery, at left, for three top examples that caught bidders’ attention at recent modern design sales. "Building Beauty" originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's October 2008 Table of Contents.