Black Dot Paste Earrings
English Dangle Earrings
Antique 1820s British George III Dangle Earrings
Other, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1930s Italian Arts and Crafts Chain Bracelets
Garnet, Gold, Enamel
People Also Browsed
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Artisan Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Antique 1850s Victorian Dangle Earrings
Antique 1810s English Georgian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, Silver
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
Mid-20th Century American Retro Link Bracelets
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
Antique 1840s British Victorian Brooches
Garnet, Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
20th Century Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Silver
Antique 1770s Portuguese Georgian Dangle Earrings
Quartz, Rock Crystal, Silver
Vintage 1980s American Modern Choker Necklaces
Pearl, Oriental Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Chandelier Earrings
Sterling Silver
Antique 1890s British Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Silver
Antique 1870s English Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 19th Century British George III Drop Earrings
Aquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1870s Victorian Dangle Earrings
14k Gold
Antique 1880s Unknown Victorian Dangle Earrings
Garnet, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique Early 1900s French Belle Époque Dangle Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Recent Sales
Antique Early 19th Century British Georgian Drop Earrings
Sterling Silver
Antique Early 19th Century British George IV Drop Earrings
15k Gold
Antique Early 19th Century British Georgian Dangle Earrings
Sterling Silver
Antique 1820s British George IV Drop Earrings
Antique 18th Century English Georgian Dangle Earrings
9k Gold, Sterling Silver
Antique Early 19th Century Unknown Georgian Stud Earrings
Other, Gold, 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.