Choker Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Brass
1990s American Modern Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
Early 2000s Italian Modern Choker Necklaces
2010s Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Freshwater Pearl, 14k Gold
1960s Vintage Choker Necklaces
2010s French Modern Choker Necklaces
Labradorite, Gold, Yellow Gold, Vermeil, Silver
Early 2000s Danish Modernist Choker Necklaces
2010s Italian Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Choker Necklaces
Crystal, Turquoise
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
20th Century Egyptian Egyptian Revival Choker Necklaces
22k Gold, Brass
20th Century Choker Necklaces
Turquoise, Sterling Silver
1890s Swedish Antique Choker Necklaces
Onyx, Rock Crystal, Silver
20th Century French Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
2010s Turkish Modern Choker Necklaces
Amethyst, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold
1980s German Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Silver Plate
2010s Italian Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Choker Necklaces
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
14k Gold
1990s Choker Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Gold
1880s British Late Victorian Antique Choker Necklaces
Silver
2010s American Modern Choker Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
Early 2000s French Modern Choker Necklaces
1950s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
2010s American Modern Choker Necklaces
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
1950s Swedish Vintage Choker Necklaces
Silver
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
Early 2000s Choker Necklaces
2010s American Modern Choker Necklaces
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
1970s Mexican Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
1940s European Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
1970s Vintage Choker Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
15th Century and Earlier French Art Deco Antique Choker Necklaces
2010s British Choker Necklaces
Pink Sapphire, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Danish Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
20th Century Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
1980s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Mixed Metal
Mid-20th Century Czech Artisan Choker Necklaces
Brass
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Choker Necklaces
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Choker Necklaces
Platinum, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Choker Necklaces
Mid-20th Century Israeli Modernist Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Turquoise, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
1970s Mexican Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Silver
1970s French Art Nouveau Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s German Art Nouveau Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
20th Century Choker Necklaces
Pearl
2010s American Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Spinel, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Modernist Choker Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary French Choker Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Modern Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
1980s French Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Arts and Crafts Choker Necklaces
Topaz, Imperial Topaz
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.