Georg Jensen Dew Drop Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modernist Hoop Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Danish Modernist Choker Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1970s American Modernist More Necklaces
2010s Italian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
Late 20th Century Modernist Band Rings
Jade, Gold, 24k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century Modernist Brooches
Crystal, Gold Plate
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Dangle Earrings
Gilt Metal
20th Century American Modern Modern Bracelets
Diamond, Pink Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Brooches
Gold Plate
20th Century Modernist Stud Earrings
Topaz, Turquoise, 14k Gold, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1960s Danish Cuff Bracelets
Moonstone, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s French Modernist Brooches
Gold Plate
2010s American Artist Solitaire Rings
Pink Diamond, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Artisan Multi-Strand Necklaces
Pearl, 14k Gold
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Cuff Bracelets
Gold Plate
Vintage 1980s German Art Nouveau Clip-on Earrings
Gold Plate
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, Black Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1950s Danish Drop Earrings
Moonstone, Sterling Silver
20th Century Stud Earrings
Sterling Silver
Finding the Right Earrings for You
In the United States, ear piercing didn’t really become popular until the 1950s and ‘60s, but our desire for a dazzling pair of vintage earrings has deeper roots than that. In fact, wearing earrings actually goes back thousands of years, and you can find many tangible connections between now and then in how we continue to talk about these treasured accessories.
Women wore ornamental earrings — studs and hoops at the very least — in Ancient Egypt, which is home to mines that are among the earliest sources of emeralds in the world. Emerald earrings are highly prized today, and their quality lies in their rich, saturated color. The highest-quality emeralds are green or bluish-green. Earrings worn by the affluent in early Roman civilizations were set with precious stones such as diamonds and pearls, and a clean-looking pop of pearl on the front of the lobe is as timeless as ever. Hoop earrings are imbued with symbolism and cultural significance for many, and on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Near Eastern Art Gallery is a pair of simple gold hoops from Mesopotamia dating to between 2600 and 2500 B.C.
Today, ear piercing is very popular all over the world, and, as a result, it is difficult to overstate how much everyone pines for a good pair of earrings — modernist drop earrings, glamorous Victorian hoops, geometrically complex chandelier earrings, you name it. Sure, jewelry trends and the fashion darlings of social media come and go, but earrings have a staying power that seems impenetrable: The still-strong love affair between British royals and Cartier earrings is more than a century old, glossy 1970s hoops from legacy houses such as Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels remain the statement makers they’ve always been and although people have been stacking earrings for many moons, the allure of an expertly mismatched stack of charms and studs still feels fresh and new.
While there is no shortage of modern earring designs to choose from, the classics, like coral earrings, Art Deco–style earrings and diamond drop earrings are still heavy hitters. On 1stDibs, find a wide range of antique, new and vintage earrings today.