Contemporary Drop Earrings
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.
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Ruby, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Carnelian, Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Carnelian, Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Citrine, Quartz, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Rhodium, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Quartz, Citrine, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, Rose Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Rubelite, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Iolite, Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Iolite, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Indicolite, Pearl, Black Pearl, Emerald, Tourmaline, Diamond, Gold, Whit...
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
1970s English Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century Unknown Antique Contemporary Drop Earrings
Garnet, Pearl, Gold, 10k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Multi-gemstone, Lapis Lazuli, Brown Diamond, Blue Diamond, Diamond, Yell...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Opal, 18k Gold
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Ruby, Gold, Yellow Gold, 10k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Drop Earrings
Moonstone, Tourmaline, Yellow Gold
