Contemporary Jewelry
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.
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Peridot, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Swiss Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
White Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
White Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold, Steel
Early 2000s Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century Italian Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Amethyst, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Peridot, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Amethyst, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, White Gold
20th Century Swiss Contemporary Jewelry
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Amethyst, Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
Early 2000s American Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold
20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, White Gold
Early 2000s Swiss Contemporary Jewelry
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Swiss Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, Stainless Steel
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Rose Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
2010s French Contemporary Jewelry
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver
1990s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Blue Topaz, Gold, 18k Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum