Contemporary Brooches
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.
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Brooches
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Brooches
Chalcedony, Diamond, Aquamarine, 18k Gold, Platinum
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Brooches
Garnet, Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald, Pink Sapphire, Tsavorite, Gold, Whit...
1970s Vintage Contemporary Brooches
Emerald
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Brooches
Crystal
1990s Italian Contemporary Brooches
Amethyst, Diamond, Tourmaline, Peridot, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s German Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Onyx, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Gold, 10k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Platinum
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Ruby
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Brooches
Chalcedony, Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
1990s American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, Tsavorite, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s British Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Contemporary Brooches
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold, Titanium
21st Century and Contemporary Burmese Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold
20th Century American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Early 2000s Turkish Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Brooches
Crystal
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Rhodium
1990s Italian Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s German Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Tsavorite, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Garnet, Onyx, Yellow Sapphire, Tsavorite, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Brooches
Pearl, Multi-gemstone, Lapis Lazuli, White Diamond, Diamond, Coral, Yell...
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
Yellow Sapphire, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Jade, Ruby, 18k Gold
1990s American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
Emerald, Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Brooches
Crystal
1990s Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Unknown Contemporary Brooches
Iolite, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Brooches
Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1980s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Brooches
Lapis Lazuli
1990s Italian Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Brooches
Crystal
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
20th Century Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver, Enamel
2010s Contemporary Brooches
14k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
Yellow Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century Contemporary Brooches
14k Gold, Rose Gold, Platinum
1990s American Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
Sapphire, Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, ...
2010s American Contemporary Brooches
Sterling Silver, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Brooches
Chalcedony, Freshwater Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century Contemporary Brooches
Diamond, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Brooches
Chalcedony, Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Platinum