From college campuses to runways to the Kardashians, there is no denying that chokers are everywhere. Whether you prefer the neo-punk-dog-collar chokers seen from Alexander Wang or the elegant diamond encrusted chokers from Oscar de la Renta, these necklaces are the fastest growing jewelry trend on the scene right now. The question is: are chokers just a passing trend soon to fade away, or are they here to stay?

For generations this particular piece of jewelry has had an intoxicating history with women all across the world. Beginning as neck protection for warriors and later becoming a form of dress for tribal ceremonies, the choker saw its start made of bone, shells and glass beads in Native American traditions.

The Maasai tribes in East Africa also wore chokers for ceremonial purposes. Young brides would receive their first beaded necklaces on their wedding day, wearing it for the rest of their lives. In Europe during the 1700s, women wore red ribbon chokers to pay homage to those beheaded by the guillotine while others wrapped black ribbons around their throats to signify that they were prostitutes.

Later in the 1800s chokers became more of a status symbol, an emblem of the elite, with women encircling their necks in tight strings of pearls and velvet, with precious stones or cameos dangling above the indentations between their clavicles. The enigma of the choker began to rise once more in the mid 1900s as women once again recognized the power that came along with wearing it.

Now, today we see the choker craze popping up once more. So to put it simply, don’t put your chokers in the back of your jewelry box just yet, because this trend has some serious staying power.