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.
20th Century French Contemporary Drop Earrings
Topaz, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s English Contemporary Drop Earrings
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
14k Gold, 24k Gold, Gold-filled, Gold Plate
1990s French Contemporary Drop Earrings
1980s Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1980s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Contemporary Drop Earrings
Citrine, Diamond
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Jade, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Coral, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, Platinum
1990s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Citrine, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
20th Century French Contemporary Drop Earrings
Citrine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Platinum
20th Century Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold, White Gold
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Quartz, White Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Yellow Gold, Enamel
1980s American Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Rock Crystal, White Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Onyx, Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gol...
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Rock Crystal, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century European Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Opal, 18k Gold
1980s American Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Ruby, White Diamond, 18k Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s American Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
20th Century French Contemporary Drop Earrings
Citrine, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s European Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
14k Gold, 24k Gold, Gold-filled, Gold Plate
1950s American Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Palladium
Mid-20th Century European Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Peridot, Platinum
Mid-20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
14k Gold, 24k Gold, Gold-filled, Gold Plate
1980s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century European Contemporary Drop Earrings
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century European Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century European Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1980s French Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Mixed Metal
Mid-20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, 14k Gold, 24k Gold, Gold-filled, Gold Plate
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Opal, Fire Opal, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Sterling Silver
1990s Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
20th Century Portuguese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Portuguese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Agate, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold