Choker Necklaces
1980s American Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold
1980s French Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
1980s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Mixed Metal
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s Unknown Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s Italian Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
1980s French Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
1980s French Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Silver Plate
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s German Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1980s French Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s American Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
1970s Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s American Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1980s German Baroque Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1980s German Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
1970s French Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s German Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1980s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s Italian Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1970s Greek Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s French Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Other, 18k Gold
1970s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Mixed Metal
1970s European Romantic Vintage Choker Necklaces
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
1970s Italian Classical Roman Vintage Choker Necklaces
Malachite, Sterling Silver
1980s French Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
1970s French Artisan Vintage Choker Necklaces
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
1980s Contemporary Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate, Brass, Bronze, Gilt Metal
1980s German Art Deco Vintage Choker Necklaces
Silver Plate
1980s Swiss Modernist Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s German William IV Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1970s Mexican Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Sterling Silver
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Gold
1980s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Mixed Metal
1970s Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s American Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Mixed Metal
1970s French Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gilt Metal
1970s American Vintage Choker Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Gold
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
14k Gold
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
14k Gold
1980s French Artist Vintage Choker Necklaces
22k Gold, Brass, Gilt Metal
1980s German Edwardian Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1980s German Art Nouveau Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold Plate
1970s American Artisan Vintage Choker Necklaces
Carnelian, Bronze
1970s Indian Art Nouveau Vintage Choker Necklaces
Gold, Enamel
1980s Vintage Choker Necklaces
1980s Asian Modern Vintage Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, 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.