Victorian Amphora Earrings
Antique 1880s English Etruscan Revival Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1870s Victorian Drop Earrings
Lapis Lazuli, 14k Gold
Antique 1890s British Victorian Dangle Earrings
Gold
Antique 19th Century French High Victorian Drop Earrings
Silver, Gold
Antique 1870s Etruscan Revival Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Drop Earrings
18k Gold
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Moonstone, Rainbow Moonstone, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s French Modernist Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
Antique 1870s Austrian High Victorian Brooches
Emerald, 14k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Antique 1880s Dangle Earrings
Sapphire, 10k Gold
Vintage 1920s Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold
Antique 19th Century Spanish Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel, Gold
Antique 1880s British Victorian More Rings
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 9k Gold, Enamel
Antique 1880s Austrian Etruscan Revival Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Pearl, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s Unknown Dangle Earrings
14k Gold
20th Century French Modern Link Bracelets
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Antique 1890s British Victorian Three-Stone Rings
Diamond, Gold
Antique Early 19th Century British George III Drop Earrings
Aquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Unknown Etruscan Revival Fashion Rings
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Chain Necklaces
9k Gold, Rose Gold
Recent Sales
Antique 1850s Italian Victorian Dangle Earrings
Coral, 14k Gold
Antique 1890s Victorian Drop Earrings
14k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Dangle Earrings
15k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1880s British Etruscan Revival Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Dangle Earrings
15k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Chandelier Earrings
Agate, 15k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Unknown Victorian Dangle Earrings
Turquoise, 15k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century European Victorian Dangle Earrings
Early 20th Century European Victorian Collectible Jewelry
Gold
Antique 1870s American Victorian Dangle Earrings
Coral, 14k Gold
Antique 1860s Italian Victorian Drop Earrings
Coral, Yellow Gold
Antique 1870s British Drop Earrings
Gold
Antique 1870s Etruscan Revival Drop Earrings
15k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Dangle Earrings
14k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Drop Earrings
Agate, Rose Gold
Antique 19th Century British Etruscan Revival Dangle Earrings
15k Gold
Antique 1890s British Victorian Dangle Earrings
Agate, 15k Gold
Antique 1850s British Victorian Drop Earrings
Coral, Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century British Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, 14k Gold, 18k Gold
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.