Ancient Earrings
1990s Clip-on Earrings
14k Gold, 18k Gold
Antique 19th Century Victorian Dangle Earrings
22k Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Unknown Classical Roman Dangle Earrings
Gold, Bronze
Vintage 1970s Stud Earrings
22k Gold, Silver
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Silver, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s Italian Retro Stud Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Clip-on Earrings
Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Italian Classical Greek Clip-on Earrings
Gold
Vintage 1970s American Artisan Drop Earrings
Gilt Metal
Antique 19th Century Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier American Contemporary Stud Earrings
22k Gold, Bronze, Yellow Gold, Gold
2010s Stud Earrings
18k Gold
2010s Italian Greek Revival Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
2010s Italian Greek Revival Dangle Earrings
14k Gold
2010s Mexican Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Garnet, Ruby, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s More Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Topaz, Blue Topaz, 14k Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Silver
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Tourmaline, Turquoise Matrix, Turquoise, Opal, Multi-gemstone, Citrine, ...
Vintage 1920s Unknown Classical Roman Clip-on Earrings
2010s American Contemporary Stud Earrings
Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Lever-Back Earrings
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Israeli Classical Roman Stud Earrings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
18k Gold
2010s Mexican Contemporary Chandelier Earrings
Emerald, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Bronze
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, Rainbow Moonstone, Turquoise Matrix, Tourmaline, Opal, Multi-...
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Aquamarine, Multi-gemstone, Opal, Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold, Bronze
2010s Italian Classical Greek Stud Earrings
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century More Earrings
2010s Turkish Modern Drop Earrings
Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Unknown Hoop Earrings
Ruby, Gold
2010s North American Artisan Drop Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
2010s Mexican Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Blue Sapphire, Ruby, Peridot, Emerald, Yellow Gold, White Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Italian Greek Revival Dangle Earrings
Garnet, 14k Gold
1990s English Etruscan Revival Drop Earrings
Gold, 15k Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Dangle Earrings
Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Drop Earrings
Garnet, Gold, 18k Gold, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Drop Earrings
Citrine, Garnet, Peridot, 18k Gold, Bronze
2010s Italian Classical Roman Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Bronze
2010s American Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Chrysocolla, Gold, Silver, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Dangle Earrings
Citrine, Garnet, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Dangle Earrings
Citrine, Peridot, 18k Gold, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Bronze, Yellow Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Italian Classical Roman Dangle Earrings
Bronze, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Drop Earrings
Agate, 18k Gold, Bronze
20th Century Greek Classical Greek Hoop Earrings
Gold, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Roman Chandelier Earrings
18k Gold, Gold, Bronze
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Byzantine Hoop Earrings
Gold
2010s North American Artisan Drop Earrings
Diamond, Brown Diamond, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Classical Roman Chandelier Earrings
18k Gold, Silver, Gold
2010s North American Artisan Drop Earrings
Emerald, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
2010s North American Artisan Drop Earrings
Tourmaline, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Etruscan Revival Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Silver
20th Century Stud Earrings
Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Clip-on Earrings
Peridot, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
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Ancient Earrings For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Ancient Earrings?
Why Gold Shines in Jewelry Craftsmanship
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
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