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 British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Aquamarine, South Sea Pearl, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Moonstone, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary North American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Spinel, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s North American Contemporary Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, 24k Gold, Gold-filled, Gold Plate, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Aquamarine, South Sea Pearl, Platinum
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Topaz, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Italian Vintage Contemporary Drop Earrings
Jade, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Citrine, Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s European Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Emerald, Pearl, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Peridot, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s German Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Moonstone, 18k Gold, Silver
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Ruby, 14k Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Rose Gold, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Tanzanite, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Morganite, Multi-gemstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Diamond, Morganite, Multi-gemstone, Opal, Gold, 18k Gold,...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Tourmaline
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Citrine, Diamond, Peridot, Topaz, White Diamond, White Gold, Y...
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Opal, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s British Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Vermeil
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Rubelite, Turquoise, White Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Gold,...
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, Diamond, Blue Sapphire, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Contemporary Drop Earrings
Moonstone, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold