Georgian Black Dot Paste Earrings
English Dangle Earrings
Antique 1820s British George III Dangle Earrings
Other, Sterling Silver
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Antique 15th Century and Earlier Artisan Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
Antique 1880s Unknown Victorian Dangle Earrings
Garnet, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique 1810s English Georgian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Gold, Silver
Antique 1850s Victorian Dangle Earrings
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
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
Vintage 1970s Italian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Antique 1870s Victorian Dangle Earrings
14k Gold
Antique Early 1900s French Belle Époque Dangle Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Link Necklaces
Crystal, Silver Plate, Brass
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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
A Close Look at Georgian Jewelry
Georgian jewelry is named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who in succession ruled England starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign, which lasted until 1837). A slew of beautiful pieces were produced during the period, and today antique Georgian rings, necklaces and other accessories are coveted by fine jewelry collectors.
There are certain features that distinguish jewelry from this era, including the fact that pieces from the 18th and early 19th centuries were handmade (so don’t let the absence of a maker’s mark lead you to believe otherwise). Antique Georgian jewelry also has a certain “look.” It’s a bit gray because stones were often set in silver, and because stonecutting techniques were not as advanced as they are today, the gems do not possess the level of sparkle to which we have become accustomed.
Intricate metalworking techniques such as repoussé (the hammering of metal into ornate designs) and cannetille (a method of working the gold wire to make it look woven) allowed goldsmiths to really flex their muscles. These gold pieces, either on their own or combined with gemstones, made for highly original and dramatic jewelry. The era also saw pieces with ornately woven strands of human hair.
Pearls, along with colored gemstones like garnets, rubies and sapphires, were widely used in Georgian jewelry. These were often cut in the shape of a cabochon or teardrop. It was fashionable to combine garnets or rubies with seed pearls. In Georgian diamond rings, popular cuts for diamonds included rose, old mine and table. Around the 1780s, paste jewelry, or hand-cut glass on foil, was used to imitate diamonds.
Browse a collection of antique Georgian diamond rings, earrings, brooches and other authentic Georgian jewelry today on 1stDibs.
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.