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.
2010s Dutch Contemporary Jewelry
Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 2000s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Jade, Ruby, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Quartz, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Quartz, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 2000s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Tanzanite, Emerald, Ruby, Bronze
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Star Ruby, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Diamond, 14k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary European Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Sapphire, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Pink Sapphire, Brown Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Ro...
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18...
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Indonesian Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s North American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Sterling Silver
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Blue Topaz, Topaz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold