Red Titanium Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Coral, White Diamond, Onyx, Diamond, 18k Gold, Titanium, Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Coral, Diamond, Titanium
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Contemporary Stud Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
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21st Century and Contemporary Thai Russian Empire Hoop Earrings
Ruby, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary French Link Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Drop Earrings
Coral, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, White Gold
1990s Italian More Earrings
Coral, 18k Gold
Antique 1880s Drop Earrings
Antique 19th Century Italian More Earrings
Coral, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Modernist Clip-on Earrings
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Italian More Earrings
Coral, 18k Gold
Antique 1870s Italian Victorian Drop Earrings
Coral, 14k Gold
Vintage 1910s Hoop Earrings
2010s Italian Artisan Dangle Earrings
Coral, Peridot, 18k Gold
2010s American Artisan Stud Earrings
Sterling Silver, 18k Gold, Vermeil
2010s Italian Artisan Dangle Earrings
Coral, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandelier Earrings
Chalcedony, Moonstone, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 2000s French Modern Cuff Bracelets
Crystal, Base Metal
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century More Earrings
Titanium
Late 20th Century More Earrings
Titanium
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Titanium
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, White Diamond, Cultured Pearl, White Gold, Gold, 18k Gol...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Titanium
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Quartz, Topaz, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Titanium, Gold
Late 20th Century More Earrings
Titanium
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Titanium
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Cultured Pearl, Pearl, Titanium, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Titanium
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.
Finding the Right Earrings for You
In the United States, ear piercing didn’t really become popular until the 1950s and ‘60s, but our desire for a dazzling pair of vintage earrings has deeper roots than that. In fact, wearing earrings actually goes back thousands of years, and you can find many tangible connections between now and then in how we continue to talk about these treasured accessories.
Women wore ornamental earrings — studs and hoops at the very least — in Ancient Egypt, which is home to mines that are among the earliest sources of emeralds in the world. Emerald earrings are highly prized today, and their quality lies in their rich, saturated color. The highest-quality emeralds are green or bluish-green. Earrings worn by the affluent in early Roman civilizations were set with precious stones such as diamonds and pearls, and a clean-looking pop of pearl on the front of the lobe is as timeless as ever. Hoop earrings are imbued with symbolism and cultural significance for many, and on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Near Eastern Art Gallery is a pair of simple gold hoops from Mesopotamia dating to between 2600 and 2500 B.C.
Today, ear piercing is very popular all over the world, and, as a result, it is difficult to overstate how much everyone pines for a good pair of earrings — modernist drop earrings, glamorous Victorian hoops, geometrically complex chandelier earrings, you name it. Sure, jewelry trends and the fashion darlings of social media come and go, but earrings have a staying power that seems impenetrable: The still-strong love affair between British royals and Cartier earrings is more than a century old, glossy 1970s hoops from legacy houses such as Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels remain the statement makers they’ve always been and although people have been stacking earrings for many moons, the allure of an expertly mismatched stack of charms and studs still feels fresh and new.
While there is no shortage of modern earring designs to choose from, the classics, like coral earrings, Art Deco–style earrings and diamond drop earrings are still heavy hitters. On 1stDibs, find a wide range of antique, new and vintage earrings today.
- Is titanium good for earrings?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertNovember 14, 2023Yes, titanium can be good for earrings. The metal has a cool, sleek appearance that many people find appealing. Plus, it's very hard, making it resistant to scratching and breakage. Allergies and sensitivities to titanium are also rare, so those with sensitive ears may wish to try them. On 1stDibs, explore a wide range of earrings.