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 American Contemporary Jewelry
Freshwater Pearl, Citrine, Onyx, Pearl, Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Crystal, Diamond, Onyx, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, 14k Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, Onyx, Opal, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Other, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century European Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 10k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Contemporary Jewelry
Amethyst, Crystal, Diamond, Onyx, Rock Crystal, Ruby, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Enamel
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Turquoise, 14k Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Sterling Silver
2010s Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Other, Onyx, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Quartz, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
1980s Mexican Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Sterling Silver
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
15th Century and Earlier European Antique Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Rock Crystal, Crystal, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
20th Century French Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Onyx, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Onyx, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary Jewelry
Moonstone, Onyx, Quartz, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Other, Onyx, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Onyx, Diamond, Sterling Silver, Gold Plate, 14k Gold, Gold
Early 2000s French Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Jewelry
Natural Pearl, Oriental Pearl, Jasper, Chalcedony, Diamond, Onyx, Pearl,...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Rose Gold