Choker Necklaces
1950s Swedish Vintage Choker Necklaces
Silver
1990s French Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s American Contemporary Vintage Choker Necklaces
Marcasite, Sterling Silver
1980s French Artist Vintage Choker Necklaces
22k Gold, Brass, Gilt Metal
Mid-20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Crystal, Diamond, Rock Crystal, Sapphire, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Czech Artisan Choker Necklaces
Brass
1960s Greek Retro Vintage Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold
20th Century Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1960s Unknown Retro Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
1990s French Modernist Choker Necklaces
1990s French Modernist Choker Necklaces
Late 20th Century Choker Necklaces
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Asian Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Gold
1950s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Early 1900s Antique Choker Necklaces
Coral, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
1980s German Art Nouveau Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1990s French Choker Necklaces
Gold
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold, Platinum, 18k Gold
1960s Danish Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
1940s Retro Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century American Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
20th Century American Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Yellow Gold
20th Century Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Sapphire
1970s Italian Retro Vintage Choker Necklaces
Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century French Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
20th Century Unknown Choker Necklaces
20th Century Italian Choker Necklaces
Crystal, Sapphire, Gold
1990s French Modern Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
Early 1900s Tibetan Anglo-Indian Antique Choker Necklaces
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Silver
20th Century French Choker Necklaces
1990s British Etruscan Revival Choker Necklaces
Gold, 15k Gold
1960s French Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
1970s Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold
20th Century Modern Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
Late 20th Century Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Modern Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
1990s French Retro Choker Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century American Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Choker Necklaces
Gold
1980s American Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Platinum
1950s Mexican Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Brass
20th Century French Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
1980s French Baroque Vintage Choker Necklaces
Base Metal
1990s Unknown Artisan Choker Necklaces
1970s French Art Nouveau Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Mixed Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Choker Necklaces
Silver, Sterling Silver
1970s Italian Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s French Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Israeli Modernist Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
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.