BULGARI Tubogas Two-Row Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
A testament to Bulgari’s mastery, these earrings combine a sense of movement and adaptability with enduring style. 18K Yellow Gold Italian Hallmarks Signed - BVLGARI
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari Alveare Gold and Steel Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Pair of 18k yellow gold and stainless steel Alveare hoop earrings by Bvlgari. Earrings measure 25mm (1" ) in diameter and 9.5mm wide. For non pierced ears, posts can be easily adde...
Gold, Steel
Bulgari Alveare Vintage 18K Yellow Gold & Stainless Steel Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Feasterville, PA
Yellow Gold and Stainless Steel Earrings. Bvlgari. Hallmarked: Bvlgari, 750, Serial. Condition: Pre-owned. Includes our gift box. Crafted in 18k yellow gold and polished stainles...
18k Gold, Stainless Steel
Bulgari Alveare Vintage 18K Yellow Gold & Stainless Steel Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Feasterville, PA
Yellow Gold and Stainless Steel Earrings. Bvlgari. Hallmarked: Bvlgari, 750, Serial. Condition: Pre-owned. Includes our gift box. Crafted in 18k yellow gold and polished stainles...
18k Gold, Stainless Steel
Bulgari 18K Yellow Gold Vintage Hoop Earrings, Italy, Circa 1989
By Bulgari
Located in Malmö, Skåne län
Vintage BVLGARI 18 karat gold hoop earrings made 1989. You know a pair of hoops are well made when they are purposely adjusted for left/right so that they display correct. Effortle...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari Parentesi Vintage 18K Yellow Gold and Stainless Steel Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Feasterville, PA
Yellow Gold and Stainless Steel Hoop Earrings. Bvlgari. Hallmarked: Bvlgari, 750, 1988, Serial. Condition: Excellent. Includes our gift box. Crafted in 18k yellow gold and polish...
18k Gold, Stainless Steel
Bulgari Parentesi Vintage 18K Yellow Gold and Stainless Steel Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Feasterville, PA
Yellow Gold and Stainless Steel Hoop Earrings. Bvlgari. Hallmarked: Bvlgari, 750, 1988, Serial. Condition: Excellent. Includes our gift box. Crafted in 18k yellow gold and polish...
18k Gold, Stainless Steel
Bulgari 18 Karat Yellow Gold Vintage Parentesi J-Hoop Ear-Clip Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as fluted j-hoop forms featuring geometric motif Comprised of fitted 'Parentesi' forms With high polish finish Completed by hinged omega backs Stamped with Italian assay mar...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari 3.00 CTW Diamond 18 Karat White Gold Vintage Trika J-Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as domed j-hoop style earrings featuring a grooved geometric "Trika" motif throughout Pavé set throughout with round brilliant cut diamonds weighing approximately 3.00 carat...
Diamond, Gold, White Gold
Bulgari 1990 Stainless Steel 18K Gold Vintage Serpenti J-Hoop Ear-Clip Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as double j-hoop style earrings deeply grooved with "Serpenti" tubogas Alternating in pattern with yellow gold with stainless steel segments Completed by hinged omega backs ...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
Vintage Bvlgari Bulgari B.Zero1 18 Karat White Gold Hoop Stud Earrings with Box
By Bulgari
Located in Birmingham, GB
Vintage Bvlgari B.Zero1 18k White Gold Hoop Earrings. A pair of 18k white gold earring hoops from the Bvlgari B.zero1 collection. The earrings measure 17 x 9mm and feature a lever-...
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Bulgari 1980's Ruby Diamond 18K Gold Vintage Trika J-Hoop Ear-Clip Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as domed j-hoop forms with grooved and pierced geometric chevron motif Centering prong set oval cut rubies weighing approximately 2.44 carats total Transparent medium purpli...
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
Bvlgari Bulgari Gold Earrings 18k Spiga Collection Clip-On
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Their compact size makes them a great option if you are looking for Bulgari small hoop earrings that elevate your outfit.
Gold, 18k Gold
Bulgari Rose Gold Diamond Serpenti Earrings 2.06 Carat
By Bulgari
Located in Mayfair, London, London
An 18k rose gold pair of diamond earrings by Bvlgari from the Serpenti collection. The earrings are in the shape of the iconic Bvlgari Serpenti snake set with pave round brilliant cu...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
BVLGARI Rose Gold B.zero1 Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
BVLGARI Rose Gold B.zero1 Hoop Earrings PRIMARY DETAILS SKU: 152447 Listing Title: BVLGARI Rose Gold B.zero1 Hoop Earrings Condition Description: Created in 1999 to celebrate the ...
Bvlgari Tubogas 18k Yellow & White Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Feasterville, PA
18k Yellow & White Gold Earrings with Tubogas Design. Bvlgari. Hallmarked: Bulgari, 750. Pre-owned. Includes gift box. Earrings measure 1" in length by .59" wide. Weight: 31.1 gr...
18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari 18k Yellow Gold & Steel Tubogas Pyramid Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
A pair of Bvlgari Tubogas earrings crafted in stainless steel with 18k yellow gold accents. The Tubogas construction, a signature Bvlgari technique, uses interlocking steel links tha...
Gold, 18k Gold, Steel
Bulgari 1980's Peridot Tourmaline 18K Gold Vintage Doppio Ear-Clip Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Featuring oval shaped tourmaline and peridot cabochons bezel set side-by-side Each measuring 8.5 mm x 6.0 mm - bluish green and green in color, respectively Stationed above tapered j...
Peridot, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari B.zero1 18 Karat White Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in London, GB
A pair of Bvlgari B.zero1 18 karat white gold hoop earrings. These iconic earrings have stem fittings with a plain polished finish in 18ct white gold. An ideal stylish and comforta...
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Bvlgari B.zero1 18 Carat White Gold Small Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in London, GB
A modern and chic pair of hoop earrings by luxury jewellery designer, Bulgari, from one of their most iconic collections, B.zero1.
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Bvlgari B.Zero1 18K Rose Large Rose Gold Hoop Earring
By Bulgari
Located in Banbury, GB
SKU AT-2459 Date 2015 Model B.Zero1 Metal 18k Rose Gold Weight 21.6 g Width 3 cm Condition Excellent __________________________________ If you are interested in any of our previously...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage Bvlgari B.Zero1 18 Karat Yellow Gold Hoop Stud Earrings with Box
By Bulgari
Located in Birmingham, GB
Rare Vintage Bvlgari B.Zero1 18k Yellow Gold Hoop Earrings. A pair of 18k yellow gold hoop earrings from the Bvlgari B.zero1 collection. The earrings measure approximately 17.2x17....
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari 18K Yellow Gold Carnelian Doorknockers 1970's Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Of door knocker design, in articulated 18K yellow gold, with clip backs these are vintage Bvlgari door knockers with hoops made of Carnelian. Because these earrings come to us from ...
Carnelian, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$3,800 / set
Bulgari Yellow and White Gold Half Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Darnestown, MD
Tailored half hoop earrings by Bulgari. Top and bottom are yellow gold with white in the center.
18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage Bulgari Bvlgari Roma Tear Drop Yellow Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Southampton, PA
18k Yellow Vintage Tear Drop Hoop Earrings by Bulgari. These vintage Bulgari Roma huggie earrings are crafted in luxurious 18k yellow gold, featuring the iconic Double X crossover de...
Yellow Gold
Bulgari 1990's 18 Karat Yellow Gold Vintage Geometric J-Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as j-hoop style earrings comprised of fitted "Z" shaped segments Accented by a high polish finish Completed by hinged omega backs Stamped with Italian assay marks for 18 kar...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari 1990's 18K Yellow Gold Vintage Double Spiga J-Hoop Ear-Clip Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as double j-hoop style yellow gold earrings Deeply grooved with chevron zig-zag motif Completed by with hinged omega backs With Italian assay marks for 18 karat gold Fully s...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari 1990's 18 Karat Gold Stainless Steel Vintage J-Hoop Ear-Clip Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as j-hoop style earrings comprised of fitted "Z" shaped segments Alternating in pattern with yellow gold with stainless steel Accented by a high polish finish Completed by h...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel, Stainless Steel
Bulgari Original 18kt Tt Fashion Hoop Earrings
By Diana M. Jewels
Located in New York, NY
18kt tt fashion earring hoops bulgari original
Yellow Gold
Bvlgari 18K Yellow Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
A striking pair of Bvlgari Parentesi hoop earrings crafted in 18K yellow gold and accented with polished hematite. Inspired by the iconic architectural motif that became one of Bvlga...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Bulgari Gold Earrings 18k Spiga Collection Chevron Pattern Two-Tone
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
A pair of Bulgari Spiga hoop earrings, made from 18k yellow and white gold, featuring the signature chevron pattern that defines the Bulgari Spiga collection.
Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari 18k White Gold Pave Diamond Oblong Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Stunning and substantial, these Bulgari-style hoop earrings feature a domed, tapered silhouette fully illuminated by a dazzling pavé setting of round brilliant-cut diamonds.
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
$19,200Sale Price|20% Off
Bvlgari Diamond Hoop Clip Earrings in 18 Karat White Gold
By Bulgari
Located in Chicago, IL
An iconic pair of authentic Bvlgari B.zero1 diamond hoop clip earrings crafted in luxurious 18 karat white gold.
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Rare Vintage Bvlgari Alveare Parentesi 18k Yellow Gold Steel Clip Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Birmingham, GB
Rare Vintage Bvlgari Alveare Parentesi 18k Yellow Gold & Stainless Steel Hoop Earrings. Beautiful earrings from the highly prized Bvlgari 'Alveare' line. A rare and sought after ext...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
Bvlgari Lucea 18K Yellow Gold Flat Oval Hoop Dangle Drop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage retro Bvlgari 18K Yellow gold Dangle Earrings. The Lucea Collections is adorned by Round & Oval-shaped flat disc dangle links with a highly polished finish. Crafted in18K ...
Yellow Gold
A Pair of BULGARI Tubogas 18K Yellow Gold Earclips
By Bulgari
Located in Rugby, England
Indulge in luxury with these stunning Bulgari Tubogas link hoop clip-on earrings, meticulously crafted from radiant 18K yellow gold.
Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Gold Heart Hoop Ear Clips
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
These creative ear clips are designed as interlocking gold hearts. - Signed Bvlgari - Italy - 18 karat yellow gold - Total weight 18.23 grams - Length 1¼ inches, width 1¼ inches Th...
Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Gold and White Gold Hoop Ear Clips
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Composed of white gold and gold sections - 18 karat yellow and white gold - Signed Bvlgari - Total weight 29.0 grams - Length 1 inch The condition report is Good.
18k Gold, White Gold
Unavailable|$4,500
Bulgari Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
An elegant pair of 18 carat yellow gold Bulgari Hoop earrings
Unavailable|$1,850
Bulgari B.zero1 Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
BVLGARI 18k White Gold Hoop Earrings Flawless, Elegant, and Modern. Beautiful gift, timeless, and absolutely stunning. Metal: 18k of White Gold Hallmarks: BVLGARI Weight: 13...
18k Gold
Unavailable|$3,050
A Pair of Bulgari Gold Spiga Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Amsterdam, NL
A pair of 18k yellow gold â??Spigaâ?? hoop earrings. Engraved Bulgari. All of our prices exclude VAT.
18k Gold
Unavailable|$2,800
Bulgari B.Zero1 Rose Gold White Ceramic Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Lambertville, NJ
18k rose gold hoop B.Zero1 earrings by Bvlgari, with white ceramic. Earrings measure 42mm in diameter, charm is 8mm x 7mm. Marked: Bvlgari, made in Italy, Italian mark, 750, Serial N...
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Unavailable|$6,533
Bulgari 18 Karat Yellow Gold Spiga Diamond Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Spiga hoop earrings from Estate BVLGARI. Polished 18-karat yellow gold hardware. Zigzag hoops with round-brilliant cut diamonds. 0.40 total diamond carat weight. Lever backs for pier...
Diamond, 18k Gold
Unavailable|$3,600
Bulgari Two-Tone Earclips
By Bulgari
Located in San Francisco, CA
18KT two-tone yellow and white gold half-hoop earrings. Clipbacks and posts. Signed Bulgari. c2000s.
18k Gold
Unavailable|$8,697
A pair of 18 karat yellow gold and acier earrings by Bulgari.
By Bulgari
Located in KERKRADE, NL
A pair of 18 karat yellow gold and "acier" earrings by Bulgari. Origin: Alessandria, Italy. Age: circa 1980. Measurements: circa 2.5 cm long and circa 1 cm wide. Weight: circa 28.7 ...
Yellow Gold
Bulgari Bvlgari B.Zero1 Earrings 18 Karat Rose Gold and 1.12 Carat Diamonds
By Bulgari
Located in Houston, TX
Inspired by the Colosseum in Rome, these 18k rose gold and 1.12 ct. pavé diamond Bulgari B.zero1 "huggie" hoop earrings for pierced ears represent both the eternal city and modern It...
Diamond, Rose Gold
Unavailable|$2,750
Bulgari B.Zero1 Rose Gold Black Ceramic Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Lambertville, NJ
18k rose gold hoop B.Zero1 earrings by Bvlgari, with black ceramic. Retail $3050. Comes with COA and box. Earrings are 42mm in diameter, charm is 8mm x 7mm. Marked Bvlgari, made in I...
Rose Gold
Sold|$13,800 / set
Bvlgari Diamond Yellow Gold Hoop Earrings Bulgari, 1980s
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Lovely Bulgari hoop earrings. Elegant, timeless and wearable, the earrings are a great addition to your jewelry collection.
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sold|$3,600
Bulgari Gold Hoop Earrings.
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
18k yellow gold Buglari hoop earrings. Metal weight: 36.21 grams These Bulgari earrings are accompanied by a retail appraisal performed by a GIA Graduate Gemologist.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sold|$4,500
Bulgari Alveare Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Southampton, PA
18k Yellow Gold Alveare Hoop Earrings by Bulgari. Details: Weight: 30.2 grams Measurements: 24mm x 10mm Stamped Hallmarks: Bulgari, 750, 2337AL *Free Shipping within the Unite...
18k Gold
Sold|$9,500
Bulgari Gold Half Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Created by Bulgari Rome, these late 20th century half hoops clipback earrings are composed of gold.
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Sold|$4,250
Bulgari Gold Hoop Clip Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Bethesda, MD
These Bulgari gold hoop earrings are in 18 karat yellow gold and weigh a total of 26.2 grams.
18k Gold
Sold|$1,850
Bulgari Gold Steel Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Bulgari's fascination with color and design has been transparent through all their creations. Designed with rolling contours of alternating stainless steel and glistening 18k yellow ...
18k Gold, Stainless Steel
Sold|$5,500
Bulgari Gemstone Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Andy Warhol in an interview said Bulgari jewelry is the 1980's. This is when their distinctive bold colorful designs became their iconic look. Featuring cabochon cut lively purple ...
Amethyst, Citrine, Tourmaline, 18k Gold
Sold|$5,800
Bulgari Tubogas Clip-On Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
One of the most iconic Bulgari design embodied in curves of the hoop earrings.
18k Gold
Sold|$3,300
Large Bulgari Tricolor Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Pink, yellow and white ribbed 18k gold large hoop earrings from Bulgari. Outstanding design and craftsmanship.
18k Gold
Sold|$3,300
Large Bulgari Tricolor Gold Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Pink, yellow and white ribbed 18k gold large hoop earrings from Bulgari. Outstanding design and craftsmanship.
18k Gold
Greek silversmith Sotirios Voulgaris arrived in Rome in 1881 and set up his own shop there in 1884, calling it Bulgari, an Italianization of his last name (in the brand's logo, it's styled BVLGARI, using the classical Latin alphabet in a nod to ancient Roman culture). In 1905, he opened the company’s flagship boutique on Rome’s Via dei Condotti. Since then, Bulgari has looked to Rome as a source of reference for its fanciful and decidedly romantic designs for necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other accessories.
Although the iconic jewelry house found success with its silverwork and Art Deco designs, popular through the 1920s, Bulgari’s signature style — bold, often using yellow gold embellished with big colorful gemstones — began to emerge when Sotirios’s sons inherited the business, in 1932.
The brand truly hit its stride in the dolce vita era of the 1950s and ’60s, when the founder’s grandsons Paolo, Gianni and Nicola Bulgari decisively departed from demure traditional styles to develop the house’s exuberant multi-gem looks, attracting celebrity collectors like Elizabeth Taylor.
In the 1940s, Bulgari debuted perhaps its most famous design, the Serpenti bracelet watch. The piece’s snakelike coils were made possible by the tubogas jewelry technique, which links a flexible series of thin horizontal bands. Both the sleek, modern tubogas construction and the sinuous snake motif continue to be synonymous with the Bulgari brand.
On 1stDibs, the collection of vintage Bulgari jewelry includes rings, pendant necklaces, watches and other accessories.
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
It is almost impossible to overstate how popular hoop earrings are today. They are routinely seen adorning the ears of high-profile women, ranging from Michelle Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B.
The roots of the hoop-earring phenomenon literally stretch back to the dawn of civilization. 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 2,600–2,500 B.C. that experts agree is among the oldest known examples. Hoop earrings can also be found in the Met’s Egyptian art gallery as well as in the museum’s displays of Greek and Roman art.
What inspired the original hoop design and why it was adopted by so many jewelers in the ancient world are unknown. It doesn’t have an origin story, feeling rather like the jewelry equivalent of the wheel. There just seems to be a logic to a circle that goes from the front to the back of the lobe.
“Hoops have been worn for millennia because they are unfathomably chic,” says Annabel Davidson, the editor of Vanity Fair UK’s special jewelry edition. “The way they accentuate the jawline, elongate the face and add a touch of flamboyance to a look is clearly a timeless expression of confidence, femininity and sartorial savvy.”
Throughout the ages, there have been countless decorative variations of hoop earrings. While the style can be found in just about every era, it was far more popular in some periods than others. Certain looks from yesteryear reflect cultural interests, while others are purely glamourous.
On 1stDibs, shop vintage diamond hoop earrings, gold hoop earrings, contemporary hoops and many more varieties of this wildly popular accessory.