The history of contemporary jewellery dates back at least 50 years, but it still is a rather unknown discipline: difficult to define, to position, even to date. The relative obscurity of the field makes it vulnerable to the whimsicalities of times, and trends in education and cultural politics. What are the characteristics of contemporary jewellery, where and when did it start, how does it develop, what is its future? What notions can be used to describe the practice of an artist working in contemporary jewellery? How can we deal with the many different aspects of contemporary jewellery to define a practice that seems to belong nowhere and everywhere at the same time, a practice that is rooted in craft as well as visual art, in design as well as in fashion? Papers that are submitted within this theme should focus on the key concepts and core values of contemporary jewellery with the aim to help creating a framework for contemporary jewellery.

Keywords: definition, notion, discussion, position, characteristics, history and future