Hermes Loop Earring
21st Century and Contemporary French Hoop Earrings
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Drop Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1960s Clip-on Earrings
Diamond
Late 20th Century Unknown Clip-on Earrings
Yellow Gold, Silver
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary European Art Deco Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Rose Gold
2010s Modern Bracelets
21st Century and Contemporary French Link Necklaces
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Lever-Back Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Fashion Rings
Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Onyx, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s American More Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Modern Cuff Bracelets
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1980s Swiss Wrist Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Egyptian Revival Brooches
Base Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Bangles
Diamond, Yellow Gold
20th Century British Drop Necklaces
Onyx, Yellow Gold
2010s French Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Link Necklaces
Onyx, White Gold
2010s French Scarves
Recent Sales
2010s European Hoop Earrings
Silver
2010s Hoop Earrings
Silver
2010s French Dangle Earrings
Vintage 1980s French Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French Hoop Earrings
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Hoop Earrings
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s French High Victorian Link Bracelets
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Hoop Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Hoop Earrings
Sterling Silver
2010s Swiss Wrist Watches
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.