Choker Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary French Choker Necklaces
Gold
Early 2000s French Choker Necklaces
1990s Italian Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold, Silver
20th Century American Choker Necklaces
Amethyst, Yellow Gold
1990s American Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
20th Century American Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century Unknown Retro Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Choker Necklaces
1980s Italian Vintage Choker Necklaces
Ruby, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Modern Choker Necklaces
Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Rhodium
Late 20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
1990s Modern Choker Necklaces
18k Gold
2010s Italian Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
Early 2000s American Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
2010s French Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Gold, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
1980s European Vintage Choker Necklaces
2010s North American Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
20th Century French Choker Necklaces
1990s French Choker Necklaces
Early 2000s Italian Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Gold
2010s Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century European Choker Necklaces
1990s American Modern Choker Necklaces
Silver, Sterling Silver
1990s North American Retro Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, Platinum
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
20th Century Choker Necklaces
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
1960s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s American Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
1990s French Choker Necklaces
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
1990s French Choker Necklaces
Gold
Early 2000s French Choker Necklaces
15th Century and Earlier French Art Deco Antique Choker Necklaces
1990s American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
1990s French Choker Necklaces
1990s French Contemporary Choker Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Choker Necklaces
2010s French Choker Necklaces
2010s French Choker Necklaces
1990s French Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
1990s Choker Necklaces
1990s French Modern Choker Necklaces
20th Century Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
1990s French Modern Choker Necklaces
Crystal, Base Metal
1990s Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Choker Necklaces
Crystal
1990s American Retro Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold, Gold
Vintage Choker Necklaces
Vintage choker necklaces are elegant, alluring and stylish. Cameos, pearls, diamonds and other stones can decorate these necklaces, which come in single or multiple strands. Whether it is a statement piece or a delicate chain, these short necklaces always stand out and turn heads.
The history of the choker can be traced back thousands of years, with Sumerian examples discovered from 2600–2500 B.C. They endured as a popular form of adornment through the centuries, and during the French Revolution they took on a symbolic significance. Women wore ribbons around their throats to mark the passing of those killed by the guillotine. Soon, the plain ribbons were adorned with small cameos and other ornamentation.
European choker necklaces gained a salacious reputation in the 19th century when prostitutes were associated with black ribbons tied around the neck, such as the model in Édouard Manet’s Olympia (1863). Queen Alexandra, Princess of Wales, reversed the trend in the late 19th century by wearing a large pearl and diamond choker, reputedly to hide a scar.
Fashioned from gold, pearls and other precious stones and metals, chokers continued to be worn into the 20th century, alternately statements of wealth and rebellion. They experienced periods of revival in the 1920s, ’40s, ’70s and ’90s for both men and women.
Vintage chokers make a statement with an unmistakable air of femininity. On 1stDibs, find an alluring collection of vintage chokers today, including gold, sapphire and emerald chokers.