Choker Necklaces
Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Choker Necklaces
Quartz, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Choker Necklaces
Agate, Amethyst, Carnelian, Coral, Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Pearl, Quartz,...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Choker Necklaces
Topaz, Quartz, White Diamond, Diamond, Citrine, Amethyst, Gold, Yellow G...
2010s Italian Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Quartz
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Quartz, Vermeil
1920s Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Agate, Quartz, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Choker Necklaces
Citrine, Coral, Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Opal, Quartz, Blue Sapphire, Topa...
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Modern Choker Necklaces
White Diamond, Quartz, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1990s Modernist Choker Necklaces
Amethyst, Quartz, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Modernist Choker Necklaces
Crystal, Quartz, Sterling Silver
1970s Burmese Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Jade
Early 2000s Modernist Choker Necklaces
Amethyst, Quartz, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Choker Necklaces
Amethyst, Diamond, Quartz, Topaz, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1960s Danish Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Quartz, Silver
1920s Chinese Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Jade, 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.