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 Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Blue Diamond, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
20th Century American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Black Diamond, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, White Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 10k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold Plate
2010s Canadian Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, Diamond, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Turquoise, Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Black Diamond, White Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Sterling Silver, Platinum
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Rose Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Topaz, Blue Topaz, Sterling Silver
2010s Australian Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Jade, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, Diamond, Rose Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Opal, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
1980s American Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Peridot, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Black Diamond, Titanium
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Black Pearl, Pearl, White Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
2010s German Contemporary Jewelry
Early 1900s Italian Antique Contemporary Jewelry
Amethyst, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Jewelry
Jade, Ruby, Pink Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Other, 9k Gold, Rose Gold, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Diamond, Peridot, Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold
2010s Australian Contemporary Jewelry
White Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Brown Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald, 9k Gold, White Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Brown Diamond, Labradorite, Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Chalcedony, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Tourmaline, Garnet, Rose Gold, 9k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, 14k Gold, Silver, Gold
2010s Thai Contemporary Jewelry
Amethyst, Brown Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Citrine, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Turquoise, 9k Gold, Rose Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Ruby, Diamond, Rose Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Jewelry
Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Black Pearl, 18k Gold, White Gold
1980s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold
2010s Zambian Contemporary Jewelry
Emerald
1970s Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
14k Gold, White Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Contemporary Jewelry
18k Gold, Yellow Gold