Buccellati Circle Earrings
Vintage 1950s Italian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Cultured Pearl, Gold, Silver, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Tanzanite, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, ...
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Link Bracelets
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s European Retro Drop Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Italian Modernist Cocktail Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s American Modernist Clip-on Earrings
Rhodocrosite, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Swiss Post-War Brooches
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Palladium
Vintage 1970s French Modernist Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s French Modernist Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Modernist Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Retro Pendant Necklaces
Chrysophrase, Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Modern Link Bracelets
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Choker Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Hong Kong Cuff Bracelets
Carnelian, Gold
Vintage 1970s French Link Necklaces
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Recent Sales
Vintage 1980s Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, South Sea Pearl, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Mexican Choker Necklaces
Amethyst, Sterling Silver
1990s Italian Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Italian Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Chandelier Earrings
18k Gold
Early 2000s Drop Earrings
18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Italian Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian More Earrings
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian More Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Italian Drop Earrings
10k Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Drop Earrings
Sterling Silver
20th Century Italian Stud Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century Italian More Earrings
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Dangle Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Drop Earrings
18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Chain Necklaces
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian More Earrings
18k Gold
2010s Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow 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.