Memento Mori Earrings

On 1stDibs, there are many options to choose from in our inventory of memento mori earrings. Frequently made of gold, 18k gold and silver, these items were constructed with great care. Our collection of memento mori earrings includes designs that are universally popular, but contemporary and artisan styles, specifically, are sought with frequency. Many examples in our inventory of these items are appealing no matter their origins, but RIMA JEWELS, Wendy Brandes and Leda Jewel Co produced popular versions that are worth a look. Browse our collection of 2 diamond versions today to add the perfect touch to your look. Today, if you’re looking for cabochon memento mori earrings and are unable to find the perfect match, our selection also includes brilliant cut and emerald cut alternatives. Most of our memento mori earrings for sale are for women, but there are 8 pieces available to browse for men.

Prices for memento mori earrings can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, these accessories begin at $275 and can go as high as $17,500, while memento mori earrings, on average, fetch $2,400.

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.