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 Afghan Contemporary Jewelry
Rubelite, Tourmaline
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, Garnet, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Blue Zircon, Zircon, Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
White Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Aquamarine, Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Black Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Contemporary Jewelry
Mixed Metal, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s North American Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s European Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold
1990s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Pink Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Gold, 10k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Diamond, Zircon, White Diamond, Oriental Pearl, Opal, Citrine, 14...
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
Early 2000s French Contemporary Jewelry
Onyx, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Amazonite, Diamond, Turquoise, 14k Gold, 18k Gold
2010s European Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum, Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Aquamarine, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary German Contemporary Jewelry
Tourmaline
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Star Sapphire, Platinum
2010s Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yell...
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
White Diamond, Lapis Lazuli, Quartz, 18k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Contemporary Jewelry
Tourmaline, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
White Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Contemporary Jewelry
Stainless Steel
2010s European Contemporary Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Turkish Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 24k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Black Diamond, Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s European Contemporary Jewelry
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold