Monet Pearl Earring
Early 2000s Dangle Earrings
Vintage 1980s Clip-on Earrings
20th Century Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1980s North American Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
20th Century American Clip-on Earrings
People Also Browsed
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary More Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
20th Century Clip-on Earrings
20th Century More Earrings
Gold Plate
20th Century Cuff Bracelets
20th Century Chandelier Earrings
Antique 1770s Portuguese Georgian Dangle Earrings
Quartz, Rock Crystal, Silver
Vintage 1980s French Clip-on Earrings
Antique Late 19th Century Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Gold, Silver
Vintage 1980s Brooches
Vintage 1980s Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1950s Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1980s Clip-on Earrings
20th Century Drop Earrings
Crystal
Vintage 1980s German High Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Necklaces
Recent Sales
2010s British Artisan Dangle Earrings
Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1950s American Retro Bracelets
Gold Plate, Base Metal
Vintage 1980s American Dangle Earrings
Late 20th Century American Retro Clip-on Earrings
Gold Plate
2010s British Artisan Dangle Earrings
Amethyst, Aquamarine, Pearl, Gold, 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.