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.
1990s English Contemporary Drop Earrings
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Peridot, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Sterling Silver
1990s Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Agate, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, White Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Contemporary Drop Earrings
Opal, Pearl, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Quartz, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Sterling Silver
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Blue Sapphire, Green Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Sapphire,...
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Black Pearl, Platinum
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1990s Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Citrine, Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Garnet, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Peridot, 14k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Thai Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
