Victorian Drop Earrings
The reign of Queen Victoria encapsulates a quickly evolving period of history — and jewelry styles were no exception. No single period has seen such a diverse group of jewelry attributed to it than the Victorian era. Today, there is a vast collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry and watches on 1stDibs.
Victorian jewelry is named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, making her the second longest-ruling monarch. (She was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.) During this time, different styles of fashion and jewelry came and went. Thanks to our fascination with royalty and swoon-worthy melodramas like Netflix’s The Crown — which is rife with evocative fashion, jewelry and interiors — and the 2017 feature film Victoria & Abdul, we are all familiar with her story. After the death of Victoria’s father and three childless uncles, she ascended to the throne at age 18. In 1840, Queen Victoria married the love of her life, her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Queen Victoria loved serpentine jewels, and she had even more power to shape trends than Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle do today. The British monarch’s best-known piece in this mold is the gold coiled-snake engagement ring she received from Prince Albert — the sinuous reptile was considered a symbol of everlasting love.
The Queen's 63-year reign has been divided by historians into the Romantic period, the early happy years, circa 1837–60; the Grand period, marked by the deaths of the Queen’s mother and husband, circa 1860–80; and the late Victorian or Aesthetic period, which lasted from about 1880 until 1901 and ushered in the Belle Époque. Queen Victoria wore her heart on her sleeve, and her fashion and jewelry reflected her emotions.
Romantic period jewelry, which featured common decorative motifs and was embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise, was a celebration of the young monarch’s love. Everything changed with the death of Prince Albert, and the Grand period is most often associated with mourning jewelry. Jewelry was smaller, lighter and more dainty during the late Victorian period. During this era, diamonds came into fashion, and semiprecious gems such as amethysts and opals became prevalent, too. Using gemstones for their natural beauty and not their worth was something that jewelers of the era felt passionate about, and this ideology would really become relevant in Art Nouveau jewelry.
Find a collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry — from rings, necklaces and brooches to a range of other accessories — on 1stDibs.
1870s Austrian Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Emerald, 14k Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, Enamel
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
1840s Italian Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century European Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
1870s English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, 9k Gold, Silver
2010s North American Victorian Drop Earrings
1820s British Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
14k Gold
2010s Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rhodium, Sterling Silver
Early 1900s Asian Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Gold
1870s English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Yellow Gold, Silver
1860s European Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
Mid-19th Century Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1840s Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Garnet, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold, 9k Gold
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold, 15k Gold
Early 1900s European Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold, Rhodium, Sterling Silver
19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Coral, Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Opal, 9k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Silver
1930s French Vintage Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1880s English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Enamel
Mid-19th Century European Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, Enamel
1860s Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Coral, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Victorian Drop Earrings
Garnet, Pearl, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Amethyst, Beryl, 15k Gold
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, Silver
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Pearl, Gold, 15k Gold
1880s English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, Silver
Early 1900s Turkish Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
Mid-19th Century Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 1900s European Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold
1890s Turkish Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Coral, Gold, 15k Gold
1880s English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Silver
1850s Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Garnet, 15k Gold
Early 1900s European Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold
19th Century Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Morganite, Tanzanite, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
Late 19th Century English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Sterling Silver
19th Century Spanish Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
Early 19th Century European Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold-filled
1880s North American Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
14k Gold
1890s Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold
Late 19th Century Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Natural Pearl, Yellow Gold
1880s English Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold, Silver
19th Century Unknown Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
15k Gold, Enamel
Early 1900s European Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Enamel
1870s Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Coral, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1880s French Antique Victorian Drop Earrings
Pearl, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold