Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Contemporary jewelry is inextricably linked with the moment in which it is created, frequently reflecting current social, cultural and political issues such as environmental consciousness, identity and sustainability. It’s informed by fashion trends, from the chokers of the 1990s to the large chain necklaces of the early 2000s.
Jewelry is one of the oldest forms of adornment. Lockets made of silver or gold have been treasured gifts for hundreds of years, for example, and charm bracelets, which have existed since prehistoric times, didn’t become especially popular until the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria. For many centuries, fine jewelry was used primarily to express wealth or status through lavish materials. Then, in the 1960s, a concept known as the “critique of preciousness” emerged, with jewelers creating pieces that did not get their value from gemstones or precious metals. Instead, it was the jeweler’s artistic vision that was prized and elevated.
This shift still informs Contemporary jewelry being made by artists today. Whether they are using cheap, found materials and working with provocative geometric shapes or seeking out the rarest stones, they are imbuing their work with meaning through their skills, techniques and ideas. Innovative designers such as Elsa Peretti, who popularized sculptural sterling-silver jewelry for Tiffany & Co., and David Yurman, who twisted metal into the simple yet striking Cable bracelet, have also influenced the direction of Contemporary jewelry’s forms and aesthetics.
Meanwhile, technological advancements like metal alloys and laser engraving have led to new possibilities in jewelry design. Now, edgy makers and brands as well as minimalist designers are pushing Contemporary jewelry forward into the 21st century.
Find a collection of Contemporary rings, earrings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, Pearl, Silver
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Jade, Chrysocolla, 18k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Pearl, Onyx, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 14k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Black Pearl, Pearl, Vermeil, Rhodium
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, Pearl, 14k Gold, Vermeil
2010s Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Chrysocolla, Gold Plate
20th Century American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Coral, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
2010s Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Amethyst, Cultured Pearl
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Tanzanite, Silver
19th Century Italian Antique Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Coral, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Japanese Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Pearl
19th Century Chinese Antique Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Carnelian, Vermeil, 14k Gold
20th Century Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Natural Pearl, Pearl, 14k Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s French Vintage Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Pearl
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Pearl, Quartz, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
South Sea Pearl, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Jade, Multi-gemstone, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
White Diamond, Black Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, Vermeil, 14k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, Vermeil
2010s American Contemporary Multi-Strand Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold