Anticlastic Necklace
Late 20th Century American Modernist Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver, Silver
Late 20th Century American Modernist Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
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Late 20th Century Mexican Choker Necklaces
Silver
Mid-20th Century Bangles
20th Century Unknown Modernist More Earrings
Lapis Lazuli, Silver
20th Century Modernist Stud Earrings
Topaz, Turquoise, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver
1990s American Anglo-Indian Pendant Necklaces
Coral, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Dangle Earrings
Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Modernist Stud Earrings
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s American Artisan Cuff Bracelets
Copper
Mid-20th Century American Modernist Choker Necklaces
Silver, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1940s Tibetan Artisan Pendant Necklaces
Onyx, Silver
Vintage 1980s Italian Modernist Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century Modernist Drop Earrings
Crystal, Quartz, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s American Dangle Earrings
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Modernist Brooches
Agate, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Tibetan Artisan Pendant Necklaces
Amber, Turquoise, Agate, Brass, Gold-filled
20th Century Modernist Drop Earrings
Amber, Sterling Silver
Finding the Right choker-necklaces for You
Vintage choker necklaces are elegant, alluring and stylish. Cameos, pearls, diamonds and other stones can decorate these necklaces, which come in single or multiple strands. Whether it is a statement piece or a delicate chain, these short necklaces always stand out and turn heads.
The history of the choker can be traced back thousands of years, with Sumerian examples discovered from 2600–2500 B.C. They endured as a popular form of adornment through the centuries, and during the French Revolution they took on a symbolic significance. Women wore ribbons around their throats to mark the passing of those killed by the guillotine. Soon, the plain ribbons were adorned with small cameos and other ornamentation.
European choker necklaces gained a salacious reputation in the 19th century when prostitutes were associated with black ribbons tied around the neck, such as the model in Édouard Manet’s Olympia (1863). Queen Alexandra, Princess of Wales, reversed the trend in the late 19th century by wearing a large pearl and diamond choker, reputedly to hide a scar.
Fashioned from gold, pearls and other precious stones and metals, chokers continued to be worn into the 20th century, alternately statements of wealth and rebellion. They experienced periods of revival in the 1920s, ’40s, ’70s and ’90s for both men and women.
Vintage chokers make a statement with an unmistakable air of femininity. On 1stDibs, find an alluring collection of vintage chokers today, including gold, sapphire and emerald chokers.