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 Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 9k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Onyx
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, White Diamond, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, White Diamond, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Onyx, Turquoise, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Coral, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Titanium
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Sterling Silver, Silver
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Turquoise, Silver
19th Century Unknown Antique Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, 14k Gold
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Gold Plate, Silver
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, 14k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Other
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Other
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Turquoise, Silver
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Gold, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Coral, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Yellow Gold, Enamel, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Agate, Amethyst, Carnelian, Citrine, Coral, Garnet, Lapis Lazuli, Multi-...
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Tsavorite, Coral, 18k Gold, Vermeil, Silver, S...
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Coral, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Malachite, Coral
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, White Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Turkish Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Black Jade, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Titanium
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Coral, Freshwater Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Emerald, Black Pearl, 18k Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 20th Century French Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, Coral, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Purple Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Sapphire, Coral, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold, ...
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century French Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold