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.
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Quartz, Rock Crystal, Blue Sapphire, Tourmaline, Platinum
1990s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Early 2000s Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Gold
20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 2000s Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1940s Unknown Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Rose Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Late 20th Century North American Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century German Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver
1980s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s French Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Platinum
1970s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Platinum
1980s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Yellow Gold
1980s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel, Platinum
1990s American Contemporary Jewelry
Platinum
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1990s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold