Contemporary 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.
1990s European Contemporary Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Earrings
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Vermeil
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Contemporary Earrings
Moonstone, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, Citrine, Topaz, Tourmaline, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Earrings
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Contemporary Earrings
Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Topaz, 14k Gold, White Gold, Gold
1990s European Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Earrings
Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, Opal, Multi-gemstone, Yellow G...
2010s European Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, Brown Diamond, Quartz, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Earrings
Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Earrings
Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s European Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
2010s European Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century American Contemporary Earrings
18k Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Earrings
Opal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Earrings
22k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Spanish Vintage Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Earrings
Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Earrings
Garnet, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Platinum
2010s American Contemporary Earrings
Opal, Peridot, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Earrings
Emerald, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Earrings
Beryl, Yellow Beryl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Onyx, Quartz, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, Opal, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Opal, Peridot, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Carnelian, Citrine, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, Jade, Peridot, Gold, Enamel
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Pearl, Quartz, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Amethyst, Peridot, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Amber, Amethyst, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Citrine, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Chalcedony, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Chinese Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Enamel
Early 2000s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Topaz, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Earrings
Citrine, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold