Antique Earring Backs

On 1stDibs, there are many options to choose from in our inventory of antique earring backs. These distinct designs — crafted with great care and often made from Gold, 18k Gold and 14k Gold — can elevate any look. Our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and pieces in stock date back to the 18th Century while others were produced as recently as the 20th Century. Our collection of antique earring backs includes designs that are universally popular, but Victorian and Edwardian styles, specifically, are sought with frequency. There have been many well-made iterations of these items over the years, but those made by Dario Ferrara, FANCS V by Simona Elia and Cartier are often thought to be among the most beautiful. Browse our collection of 167 Diamond versions today to add the perfect touch to your look. Today, if you’re looking for rose cut antique earring backs and are unable to find the perfect match, our selection also includes round cut and old mine cut alternatives. There aren’t many items for men in our collection of antique earring backs, as most of the options available are for women.

On average, antique earring backs at 1stDibs sell for $2,895, while they’re typically $206 on the low end and $163,333 for the highest priced versions of this item.

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.