Contemporary Drop Earrings

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

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.

Creator: Christina Addison

Style: Contemporary

Large Diamond Drop Earrings with Diamond Ball

Contemporary Drop Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Large Diamond Drop Earrings with Diamond Ball

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Large Onyx Drop Earrings with Twisted Gold Detail

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Large Abalone Drop Earrings with Twisted Gold Detail

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Multi-Shaped Blue Topaz and Peridot Long Earring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Double Cushion Green Amethyst Stone Earrings with Detachable Pearls

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Carved Jade and Diamond Pendant Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Rock Crystal Gold Wrapped Ball Hanging Earrings on Wire

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

The Gabriella Hanging Stone Earring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Pink Topaz Hoop with Dangling Baroque Pearl

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Elegant Three-Stone Drop Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Rubelite Amethyst Diamond Gold Drop Earring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Turquoise Rubelite Diamond Gold Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Medium GUM DROP™ Earrings with Peridot and Cabochon Amethyst and Diamonds

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Mother of Pearl Abalone Drop Twisted Gold Border Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Elegant Ebony Wood Drop Earring with Twisted Gold Border

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Yellow Gold Wrapped Drop Earring with Rock Crystal and Blue Topaz

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Pear Shaped Abalone Mother-of-Pearl Gold Drop Earrings with Rope Twist

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Abalone Drop Earrings with Twisted Gold Detail

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Mother-of-Pearl Drop Earrings with Elegant Rope Twist Border

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Mother Of Pearl Drop Earrings with Twisted Gold Detail

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Large GUM DROP™ Earrings with Citrine and Pink Topaz and Diamonds

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Elegant Citrine Diamond Gold Hanging Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Elegant Lapis Turquoise Gold Rope Twist Edged Drop Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Mini GUM DROP Earrings with Citrine and Cabochon Smokey Topaz and Diamonds

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Geometric Amethyst Blue Topaz Drop Earring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Large GUM DROP™ Earrings with Peridot and Citrine and Diamonds

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Medium GUM DROP™ Earrings with Peridot and Iolite and Diamonds

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Yellow Gold Plated Multi Prong Two Stone Drop Earrings with Amethyst

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Woven Drop Earrings with Diamonds

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Large GUM DROP™ Earrings with Dark Amethyst and Pale Amethyst and Diamonds

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Blue Topaz Diamond White Gold Three Stone Drop Earring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings

Rose Quartz Diamond Rose Gold Chandelier Earring

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