Sharon Meyer Couture 18 Karat Yellow Gold, Moonstone & Carved Jade Necklace
By Sharon Meyer
Located in Troy, MI
Sharon Meyer artistry is born from her passion for design, never-ending creativity and eye for the beauty of jewelry.
Jade, Moonstone, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sharon Meyer Couture 18 Karat Yellow Gold Aquamarine Slice and Diamond Necklace
By Sharon Meyer
Located in Troy, MI
Sharon Meyer artistry is born from her passion for design and never-ending creativity and eye for the beauty of jewelry.
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sharon Meyer Couture 18 Karat Yellow Gold Epic Mabe' Pearl White Sapphire Ring
By Sharon Meyer
Located in Troy, MI
Sharon Meyer artistry is born from her passion for design and never-ending creativity and eye for the beauty of jewelry.
Pearl, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sharon Meyer Couture 18 Karat Yellow Gold Carved Pink Opal Necklace
By Sharon Meyer
Located in Troy, MI
Sharon Meyer artistry is born from her passion for design, never-ending creativity and eye for the beauty of jewelry.
Opal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Victorian, 23.17 Carat Old Cushion Shape Diamond Earrings
Located in New York, NY
Stunning Victorian drop earrings! 36 gradual old European diamonds set in gold & silver in a circular shape & filigree workmanship, with estimated total weight of 8 carats C...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
Tiffany & Co. circa 1880 Classic Colombia Emerald Diamond Pin Necklace
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Bay Harbor Islands, FL
Signed Tiffany & Co. This Scroll Motif Emerald & Diamond Pendant contains a rare AGL Graded 2.85 Carat CLASSIC COLOMBIA Emerald surrounded by approximately 11.8 carats of old mine c...
Diamond, Emerald, Natural Pearl, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Art Deco 18k Gold Turquoise Sapphire Diamond Necklace, Circa 1935
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Turquoise, Sapphire, and Diamond Necklace, 0.85 total carat weight of Diamonds. 18k yellow gold custom cast and handcrafted turquoise, sapphire, and diamond necklace. The seventeen-i...
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Cartier Art Deco Jade, Coral, Onyx and Platinum Diamond Sautoir Necklace
By Cartier
Located in New York, NY
This 1920s Art Deco masterpiece by Cartier was inspired by the exotic gemstone combinations and design motifs of the Far East. Long sautoirs were all the rage and complimented the so...
Coral, Diamond, Jade, Onyx, Platinum
Genuine Giant Blue Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Diamond Yellow Gold Necklace
Located in GOES, NL
A regal Sleeping Beauty Turquoise large beaded 20 inch long necklace with extremely rare and finest quality Sleeping Beauty Turquoises in an exceptional large size. Finished with spa...
Turquoise, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-Century Pearl Citrine Quartz Earrings Necklace Demi-Parure Set Portuguese
Located in Lisbon, PT
An exquisite Mid-Century citrine and pearl necklace and earrings demi-parure, crafted in silver and gold, and housed in a fitted presentation case. Designed in the 18th-century Georg...
Citrine, Pearl, Quartz, Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
IGI Certified 100.00 Carats Natural Diamonds Multiple Riviera Tennis Necklace
Located in New Delhi, Delhi
A statement masterpiece. A stunning tennis necklace features a collection of Diamonds , each more mesmerizing than the last. The array of diamonds creates a sparkling and radiant pie...
Diamond, 14k Gold
René Boivin Multi-Colored Sapphire Floral Bracelet
By René Boivin
Located in New York, NY
Discover the enchanting beauty of this René Boivin Sapphire Bracelet, a stunning piece that embodies the designer's exquisite craftsmanship and floral artistry. This bracelet feature...
Sapphire, 18k Gold
Exquisite Van Cleef & Arpels 7.77ct Ruby Ring with 4.00ct Diamond Halo — Signed
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in West Hollywood, CA
A striking and rare creation by Van Cleef & Arpels, this exquisite ring centers a vivid oval-shaped ruby weighing approximately 7.77 carats. The richly saturated ruby is framed...
Diamond, Ruby
$43,999Sale Price|20% Off
W 0.75 in L 7 in
Vintage GIA 103.75 carats Aquamarine Diamond Platinum Wide Deco Link Bracelet
Located in Miami, FL
The waves of the sea reflected on high-quality Aquamarines! This stunning vintage aquamarine and diamond bracelet is crafted in Luxurious Platinum. Its design features 15 well-matc...
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
Natural Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Necklace Five-Strand and Diamond French Clasp
Located in New York, NY
Natural Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Necklace Five Strand & Diamond French Clasp Natural Sleeping Beauty Turquoise which is very hard to find now. A rare Gem Necklace 5 strands average ...
Turquoise, Diamond, 18k Gold
A Cartier New York Art Deco Tutti Frutti Double Clip Brooch
By Cartier
Located in London, GB
A Cartier New York Art Deco Tutti Frutti double clip brooch. An exceptional piece, a beautiful example of Cartier's iconic Tutti Frutti design adorned with carved emeralds, baguette...
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Platinum
$62,399Sale Price|20% Off
H 1.19 in W 1.58 in
1960s Seaman Schepps GIA Aquamarine Diamond 18 Karat Gold Brooch Pin
By Seaman Schepps
Located in Miami, FL
This Vintage 1960's Seaman Schepps lapel brooch of natural inspiration weighing 19.35 grams exposes a GIA certified octagonal step-cut natural beryl very fine aquamarine weighing app...
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Cartier Aquamarine and Diamond Brooch
By Cartier
Located in New York, NY
This rare Cartier Paris aquamarine brooch with its bold diamond chevron patterning dates from the 1930s, when designers created a dynamic series of jewels that featured these limpid ...
Aquamarine, Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
$2,653Sale Price|20% Off
Jade Amber Amethyst Antiques Carved Jade Elements Long Necklace
By Giulia Colussi
Located in Milan, IT
Very special long necklace with to dragon carved jade plaque, antiques Chinese murrine, amber, amethyst, jade, Citrine, carnelian. total length 110cm. All Giulia Colussi jewelry is n...
Amazonite, Amber, Amethyst, Jade, Natural Pearl, Gold Plate
Multi Strand Pearl & Diamond Choker Necklace
Located in New York, NY
Multi Strand Pearl & Diamond Choker Necklace A choker with eight strands of cultured pearls, diamond spacers, and a pendant featuring baguette and round-cut diamonds accentuated wit...
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum
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.