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
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Black Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s British Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Pearl, White Diamond, Diamond, White Go...
2010s British Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Freshwater Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Black Pearl
2010s British Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Black Pearl, Cultured Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
White Diamond, Emerald, Pearl, Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White...
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, White Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Jewelry
Agate, Diamond, Natural Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
Aquamarine, South Sea Pearl, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, Tanzanite, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Pearl, Spinel, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Topaz, Blue Topaz, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, Tanzanite, Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, Black Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Tsavorite, Coral, 18k Gold, Vermeil, Silver, S...
2010s Australian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, Garnet, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, 9k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Hong Kong Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s British Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, Blue Topaz, Diamond, Natural Pearl, Topaz, White Gold, ...
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, Ruby
2010s Australian Contemporary Jewelry
Pearl, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Contemporary Jewelry
Amethyst, South Sea Pearl, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, South Sea Pearl, Platinum
Early 2000s American Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, Gold Plate
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
South Sea Pearl, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold, Rose Gold