Contemporary Jewelry

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

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.

Creator: Diamond Stars Jewelry, Inc.

Style: Contemporary

AGL Certified 2.52 Carat Cushion Grayish Green-Blue Sapphire Diamond Gold Ring

Contemporary Jewelry

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 2.52 Carat Cushion Grayish Green-Blue Sapphire Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry

38.25 Carats Purple Color Jade Diamond Drop Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

GIA Certified 2.24 Carat Cushion Blue Sapphire Diamond Three-Stone Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

Certified 2.02 Carat Pear Blue Sapphire Diamond Halo Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

3.11 Carat Fancy Intense Yellow and White Diamonds Platinum Daisy Flower Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

Certified 2.16 Carat No Heat Oval Blue Sapphire Diamond Gold Milgrain Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

GIA Certified 22.17 Carat Dark Bluish Green Tourmaline and Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

GIA Certified 1.78 Carat Round Emerald Diamond Gold Milgrain Filigree Ring

21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry

3.38 Carat Aquamarine and Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

1.80 Carat Oval Tanzanite Diamond Halo Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

Diamond 0.27 Carat Martini Gold Stud Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

GIA Certified 2.05 Carat G I1/I2 Round Diamond Platinum Stud Earrings

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 5.54 Carat Cushion Blue Sapphire Diamond Platinum Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 1.15 Carat Emerald Three-Stone Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 1.51 Carat Round Emerald Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.80 Carat Emerald Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

5.23 Carat Cushion Green Tourmaline Diamond Baguette Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

GIA Certified 8.49 Carat Oval Dark Greenish Blue Sapphire and Diamond Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.86 Carat Round Yellow Sapphire Diamond Gold Milgrain Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 1.05 Carat Yellow Sapphire Diamond Gold Milgrain Filigree Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL & IGI Certified No Heat 2.44 Carat Oval Blue Sapphire Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.84 Carat Emerald Three-Stone Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

GIA Certified 3.04 Carat G VVS2 Cushion Cut Diamond Gold Engagement Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.77 Carat Round Yellow Sapphire and Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.84 Carat Round Yellow Sapphire Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

2.16 Carat Oval Blue Sapphire Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.97 Carat Yellow Sapphire Diamond Gold Milgrain Filigree Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.98 Carat Round Yellow Sapphire and Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.92 Carat Round Yellow Sapphire Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.89 Carat Emerald Diamond Gold Milgrain Filigree Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 1.05 Carat Round Ruby Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 1.14 Carat Round Ruby Diamond Gold Pave Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.46 Carat Emerald Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.80 Carat Sapphire Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.67 Carat Emerald Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.77 Carat Emerald Three-Stone Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.41 Carat Emerald Diamond Gold Halo Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.52 Carat Emerald Diamond Gold Milgrain Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry

AGL Certified 0.29 Carat Emerald Diamond Gold Ring

21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry