Contemporary Chain Necklaces
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.
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Rhodium
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Rhodium
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Rhodium
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Black Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Tanzanite, Black Diamond, Silver, Sterling...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Aquamarine, Black Diamond, Sterling Silver, Bronze, Silver
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver, Bronze
2010s Italian Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Pink Sapphire, Diamond, Black Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Ro...
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Black Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver, Bronze
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver, Sterling Si...
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver, Bronze
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Quartz, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Amethyst, Diamond, White Diamond, Blue Diamond, Black Diamond, Garnet, S...
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Black Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Blue Diamond, Black Diamond, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Blue Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Ros...
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Blue Diamond, Black Diamond, Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Ros...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Diamond, Gold, 18k...
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver, Sterling Si...
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Rose Gold
2010s British Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Black Diamond, Sapphire, Mixed Me...
2010s British Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, Black Diamond, Sapphire, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Diamond, Sterling Silver, Bronze, Silver
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver, Si...
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Aquamarine, Sterling Silver, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Quartz, Diamond, White Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Chain Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Diamond, Silver, Bronze, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Chain Necklaces
Black Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold