Contemporary Lever-Back 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.
Late 20th Century Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1990s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Tourmaline, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Yellow Diamond, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold
1990s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, White Gold
1970s French Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Carnelian, Jasper, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Onyx, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Sapphire, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Amethyst, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s German Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Unknown Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Japanese Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Black Pearl, Platinum
1980s American Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary North American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Onyx, 14k Gold
1970s Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
1960s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Peridot, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century North American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Pearl, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary North American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
22k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Topaz, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Rubelite, Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1990s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Rock Crystal, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Carnelian, Chalcedony, Quartz, Amethyst, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Brazilian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Gold, 18k Gold
1990s European Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s European Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
1990s North American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s North American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary North American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
1960s American Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1960s American Vintage Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold
1990s American Contemporary Lever-Back Earrings
Amethyst, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold