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.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Peridot, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Aquamarine, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Platinum
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Emerald, Gold, ...
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Tanzanite, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Drop Earrings
South Sea Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, White Diamond, Diamond, Coral, 1...
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Rose Gold, Enamel, White Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Topaz, Tourmaline, Peridot, Garnet, Diamond, Citrine, Amethyst, Yellow G...
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Moonstone, 18k Gold, Enamel, Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Enamel, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Morganite, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Rose Gold, Enamel, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold...
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Citrine, Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Aquamarine, Diamond, Sapphire, Topaz, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amber, Diamond, Peridot, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold, Enamel
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Russian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Enamel
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Moonstone, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Cultured Pearl, Black Pearl, Pearl, White Diamond, Diamond, Chalcedony, ...
1990s Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Opal, Tourmaline, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Enamel
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold...
2010s Indian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, ...
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Yellow Diamond, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gol...
2010s Russian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Black Pearl, White Gold
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Black Pearl, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Chalcedony, Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Ruby, Diamond, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Opal, Pink Sapphire, Tsavorite, 18k Gold