Choker Necklaces
1970s American Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
1970s American Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1960s French Retro Vintage Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold
1990s French Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Enamel
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Crystal, Diamond, Rock Crystal, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold, Platinum, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century French Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Late 20th Century Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold
1990s French Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, Platinum
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum, Enamel
1960s French Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Malachite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold, Platinum
Early 2000s American Choker Necklaces
Rock Crystal, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1990s American Choker Necklaces
Turquoise, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Choker Necklaces
Gold, Enamel, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, Platinum
Mid-20th Century American Retro Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s American Vintage Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
1980s American Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k 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.