Baccarat Capri
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, White Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Hoop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
People Also Browsed
2010s Fashion Rings
2010s Indian Contemporary Band Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Solitaire Rings
18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Stud Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Topaz, Blue Topaz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Cocktail Rings
Antique 1860s Scottish Victorian Brooches
Agate, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Citrine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Contemporary Brooches
Vintage 1980s French Charm Bracelets
20th Century French Cuff Bracelets
Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s Charm Bracelets
Gold-filled
21st Century and Contemporary Fashion Rings
Citrine, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Stud Earrings
2010s Fashion Rings
20th Century Italian Contemporary Figurines and Sculptures
Brass
Recent Sales
Early 2000s French Neoclassical Glass
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, 10k Gold, Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Onyx, Tourmaline, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Turquoise, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Contemporary Link Bracelets
Pearl, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, Peridot, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Peridot, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Morganite, Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1980s French Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Turquoise, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Onyx, Tourmaline, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Contemporary Link Bracelets
Diamond, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Link Bracelets
Pearl, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Hoop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
A Close Look at 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.
Read More
11 of Annie Leibovitz’s Most Talked-About Photographs
See why the famed photographer's celebrity portraits have graced magazine covers and become headline grabbers in their own right for five decades and counting.
Tom Price Sculpted One of These Benches from Resin, the Other from Coal
Part art, part seating, they offer a fascinating meditation on life’s dualities.
The Stories behind the Most Famous Luxury Fashion Logos
From Chanel to YSL, the logos of some legacy fashion houses spark instant brand recognition and have come to symbolize a kind of luxury that feels at once aspirational and attainable.
Brooklyn’s Ground Floor Gallery Spotlights a Diverse Range of Emerging Artists
Cofounders Krista Scenna and Jill Benson highlight the work of underexposed talents and connect them with new collectors.
The Layered Story behind the Iconic Jewels of London’s Stephen Webster
On the 25th anniversary of his innovative Crystal Haze collection, the designer revisits its origins.
The Story behind James Banks’s Jewels Is As Dreamy As the Designs
Brought together by a love of jewelry with meaning, Adam Shulman and Heidi Nahser Fink built a brand that celebrates ingenious design and fine craftsmanship.
Photographer to Know: David Bailey
British portraitist David Bailey gets up close to his celebrity subjects.
High-Society Hijinks Fill the Imagination of Illustrator Tug Rice
The Pennsylvania-born, New York–based artist's whimsical creations affectionately satirize the foibles of his fellow Upper East Siders.