Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Contemporary jewelry is inextricably linked with the moment in which it is created, frequently reflecting current social, cultural and political issues such as environmental consciousness, identity and sustainability. It’s informed by fashion trends, from the chokers of the 1990s to the large chain necklaces of the early 2000s.
Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of adornment. Lockets made of silver or gold have been treasured gifts for hundreds of years, for example, and charm bracelets, which have existed since prehistoric times, didn’t become especially popular until the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. For many centuries, fine jewelry was used primarily to express wealth or status through lavish materials. Then, in the 1960s, a concept known as the “critique of preciousness” emerged, with jewelers creating pieces that did not get their value from gemstones or precious metals. Instead, it was the jeweler’s artistic vision that was prized and elevated.
This shift still informs Contemporary jewelry being made by artists today. Whether they are using cheap, found materials and working with provocative geometric shapes or seeking out the rarest stones, they are imbuing their work with meaning through their skills, techniques and ideas. Innovative designers such as Elsa Peretti, who popularized sculptural sterling-silver jewelry for Tiffany & Co., and David Yurman, who twisted metal into the simple yet striking Cable bracelet, have also influenced the direction of Contemporary jewelry’s forms and aesthetics.
Meanwhile, technological advancements like metal alloys and laser engraving have led to new possibilities in jewelry design. Now, edgy makers and brands as well as minimalist designers are pushing Contemporary jewelry forward into the 21st century.
Find a collection of Contemporary rings, earrings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary North American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Unknown Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold
1990s Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Unknown Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1970s Italian Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1960s European Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
2010s Indian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s American Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s Indian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Unknown Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Sterling Silver
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Coral, Brown Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Onyx, 14k Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Amethyst, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1960s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Pink Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Ro...
1970s Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1970s French Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Amazonite, 18k Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Silver
Late 20th Century North American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, Star Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Aquamarine, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, Silver
1970s European Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Quartz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Jade, Sapphire, Purple Sapphire, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Japanese Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Black Pearl, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, Silver, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Peridot, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold