Contemporary Jewelry
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.
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s North American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Turquoise, Silver
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, White Gold, 18k Gold
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Lapis Lazuli, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s French Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Blue Sapphire, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Aquamarine, Diamond, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
1950s French Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Canadian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
White Gold
1950s European Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
White Gold
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Platinum
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
White Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Sapphire, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s European Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1950s French Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Aquamarine, Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s Austrian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Rock Crystal, 18k Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s French Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1950s European Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s European Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Palladium
1950s French Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, Gold
1950s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Jade, 18k Gold
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Moonstone, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s European Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Peridot, Sterling Silver
1950s Swiss Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Gold-filled
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Spinel, Platinum
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond
1950s Burmese Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby
1950s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Platinum
1950s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Sri Lankan Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Sapphire
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum