Vintage Gemstone Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Aquamarine, Diamond, Tourmaline, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1960s Unknown Clip-on Earrings
Aquamarine, Citrine, Garnet, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Peridot
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Art Nouveau Loose Gemstones
Tourmaline
Late 20th Century Afghan Baroque Loose Gemstones
Tourmaline
Late 20th Century Retro Lever-Back Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Indian Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Turquoise, Silver
2010s Indian Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Amethyst, Silver
Vintage 1980s Stud Earrings
Multi-gemstone, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
2010s Pakistani Aesthetic Movement Loose Gemstones
Peridot
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Multi-gemstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Indian Revival Dangle Earrings
Coral, Emerald, Cultured Pearl, 10k Gold, Enamel
20th Century Romantic Clip-on Earrings
Multi-gemstone, Citrine, Tourmaline, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Clip-on Earrings
Amethyst, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Drop Earrings
Emerald
Vintage 1960s British More Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French More Earrings
Aquamarine, Citrine, Ruby, Amethyst, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Italian Hoop Earrings
Diamond, Aquamarine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Italian Classical Roman Lever-Back Earrings
Ruby, 14k Gold
Vintage 1980s Italian Clip-on Earrings
Amethyst, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Malagasy Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Garnet, Rhodolite
21st Century and Contemporary Central African Arts and Crafts Loose Gems...
Hessonite
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Tourmaline
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Tourmaline
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Tourmaline
Early 20th Century European Art Deco Loose Gemstones
Diamond
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Citrine
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Peridot
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Quartz
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Aesthetic Movement Loose Gemstones
Citrine
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Aesthetic Movement Loose Gemstones
Peridot
21st Century and Contemporary Tanzanian Aesthetic Movement Loose Gemstones
Garnet, Rhodolite
21st Century and Contemporary Tanzanian Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Garnet, Rhodolite
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Arts and Crafts Loose Gemstones
Tourmaline
2010s Asian Loose Gemstones
Diamond
21st Century and Contemporary Afghan Artist Loose Gemstones
Tourmaline
Vintage 1980s Dangle Earrings
Amethyst, Citrine, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Asian Loose Gemstones
Diamond
2010s American Stud Earrings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Asian Loose Gemstones
Yellow Diamond, Diamond
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
Peridot, Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Earrings
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Stud Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Dangle Earrings
2010s Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Multi-gemstone, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Dangle Earrings
Amethyst, Citrine, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Unknown Modernist Clip-on Earrings
20th Century Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1960s Drop Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18...
1990s Unknown Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1980s Brazilian Clip-on Earrings
Amethyst, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Italian Lever-Back Earrings
Garnet, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Stud Earrings
Multi-gemstone, Pearl, 18k Gold
Early 2000s Unknown Contemporary Stud Earrings
Tourmaline, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Peridot, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver,...
Late 20th Century Dangle Earrings
Silver
2010s North American Arts and Crafts Stud Earrings
Turquoise, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique 1840s Unknown Drop Earrings
Rose Gold
Late 20th Century Retro Stud Earrings
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Vintage Gemstone Earrings For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Vintage Gemstone Earrings?
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 8, 2023To wear vintage clip-on earrings properly, first position them so that the decorative part is in front of your ear and the backing is behind it. Clip-ons feature a variety of backings, but regardless of type, the clips should generally be positioned so that the open part faces the ceiling and the hinge or closed part is near the earlobe. Once you have the earrings in place, secure the clasp. This may involve squeezing a clip or turning a screw or fastener. On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage clip-on earrings.
- Are screw back earrings vintage?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Screw back earrings were most popular during the first half of the 20th century, before clip earrings increased in popularity. However, screw back earrings have never gone out of style. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of antique screw back earrings from some of the world’s top sellers.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 27, 2023How you use vintage clip-on earrings depends on what type of backing they have. Some simply feature a hinged clip that you open, slip over your ear and then press gently to close. Others may require you to turn a screw or shift a tension bar. On 1stDibs, find a large selection of vintage clip-on earrings.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 27, 2023Most vintage earrings are clip-ons largely due to how beliefs about piercings have changed over the years. It was only during the 1980s and ’90s that many women began piercing their ears. Prior to that, many women didn't have piercings and could only wear clip-ons, so makers produced earrings to suit their customer base. On 1stDibs, find a wide range of vintage earrings.
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