On 1stDibs, there are many options to choose from in our inventory of sterling silver modernist earrings. Frequently made of
silver,
sterling silver and
gold, these items were constructed with great care. Our selection of items includes 397 vintage examples as well as 43 contemporary versions. Our inventory has long been popular, and it includes earlier versions that date to the 20th Century and newer variations that were made as recently as the 21st Century. Pieces in our collection of sterling silver modernist earrings made by
artisan jewelers — as well as those associated with
modern — are very popular. Versions of these items have been a part of the life’s work for many jewelers, but those produced by
Antoñio Pineda,
Bar Jewellery and
Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. are consistently popular. Browse our collection of 16
pearl versions today to add the perfect touch to your look. A selection of
cabochon,
round cut and
bead can be found today on these pages. Most of our sterling silver modernist earrings for sale are for
women, but there are 59 pieces available to browse for
men.
Prices for sterling silver modernist earrings can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, these accessories begin at $15 and can go as high as $16,500, while sterling silver modernist earrings, on average, fetch $702.
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.
