Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra Tiger Eye Carnelian 2 Motifs Earrings 18K Gold
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Aventura, FL
Van Cleef & Arpels Magic Alhambra earrings, 2 motifs, 18K yellow gold, tiger’s eye, carnelian.
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Van Cleef & Arpels 18k Yellow Gold 3.86 ct Diamond Pendant-Brooch Star-Shape
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Sherman Oaks, CA
For the star in your life The star pendant-brooch features full-cut diamonds weighing a total of 3.86 carats Marked Van Cleef & Arpels, 750, M37730, D 3.86ct, OR 18kt, and has French...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$100,504Sale Price|20% Off
Van Cleef & Arpels 7 Carat Diamond Lotus Flower Pendant Necklace in 18k Gold
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Chicago, IL
Exude timeless elegance with this magnificent Van Cleef & Arpels Lotus pendant necklace, a breathtaking piece that showcases the maison's unparalleled mastery of floral jewelry d...
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold, White Gold
Van Cleef Chrysoprase, Coral, And Diamond Necklace And Earrings Suite.
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in New York, NY
Width: 10mmto 5mm. Weight: 57.4grams. Van Cleef & Arpels Coral And Chrysoprase EarclipGold.
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold
Vourakis Natural Oxblood Coral Diamond Yellow Gold Clip-On Earrings
Located in New York, NY
Gorgeous 18k yellow gold vintage earrings designed by Vourakis, a renowned jeweler who worked for Van Cleef & Arpels in 1950s and 1960s. These clip-on earrings are set with natur...
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Cartier Earrings 18k Gold Clip-On Estate Jewelry
By Cartier
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Comparing to other famous luxury jewelry brands, such as Van Cleef & Arpels or Tiffany & Co. who are working with precious stones a lot, Cartier is strictly focusing on diamonds and ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
GEORGE SCHULER & CO. - 14K Yellow Gold Flower Ear Clips - U.S. - Circa 1950
Located in Chatham, CA
(Manufacturer) - NEIMAN MARCUS (Retailer) - Exceptional and rare 14K yellow gold flower ear clips made for Neiman Marcus - the same design was also manufactured by Schuler for Cartie...
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
$4,788Sale Price / set|20% Off
JEAN MAHIE Sculptural Square Clips-On Earrings in Textured 22Kt Yellow Gold
By Jean Mahie
Located in Miami, FL
Jacline recalls, “Louis Arpels, 82 years old at the time, saw our work and convinced us to sell our productions to Van Cleef and Arpels.
Gold, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
Mid-Century Turquoise Ruby Diamond Clip Earrings in the Style of VCA 1950s-1960s
Located in Lisbon, PT
In the style of Van Cleef & Arpels’ “Bagatelle” designs. A bold and finely constructed pair of Mid-Century French bombé clip earrings, pavé-set with vibrant turquoise cabochons,...
Diamond, Ruby, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$4,200Sale Price|20% Off
Jean Mahie Paris Artistic Vintage Squared Clips Earrings in Textured 22Kt Yellow
By Jean Mahie
Located in Miami, FL
Jacline recalls, “Louis Arpels, 82 years old at the time, saw our work and convinced us to sell our productions to Van Cleef and Arpels.
Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
VCA Chalcedony, Sapphire and Diamond 'Blue Gardenia' Clip Brooches
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in New York, NY
Made in platinum. Signed Van Cleef & Arpels. One brooch numbered: N.Y.XXXX, stamped with maker's mark and hallmark.
Chalcedony, Diamond, Sapphire, Platinum
$5,600 / set
Jean Vitau Gold and Diamond Coil Earrings
By Jean Vitau
Located in Darnestown, MD
The late Jean Vitau designed for Tiffany and Van Cleef and Arpels in addition to his own firm, Gemlok.
Diamond, 18k Gold
$22,400Sale Price|20% Off
VCA Retro Ludo Clip, 1950s
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Idar-Oberstein, DE
A ruby and diamond 18k yellow gold clip by VCA from the retro period, 1950s. It has fine round brilliant solitaire diamonds, weighing approximately 3 carats, and ruby carrés. The cli...
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
MID-CENTURY Earrings Textured 18k Gold and 2.70 CTW VVS Diamonds
Located in Miami, FL
Hand-wrought in a heavy 17.7-gram multi-tier framework of solid 18K yellow gold, these sculptural masterpieces are a textbook example of the sophisticated, nature-inspired textured g...
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Crown Trifari Sculpted Leaf Earrings 1960s
By Trifari
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Prior to Trifari, Alfred Philippe designed jewellery in Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Trifari’s best pieces now attract the attention of collectors and savvy style hunters alike.
Vintage French Tiffany & Co Black Silver 18k Gold Earrings, Lucien Vachey
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Orlando, FL
Origin: France Designer/Maker’s mark: Lucien Vachey Year: 1983 collection Metal: Oxidized “black silver” & 18K yellow gold Weight: 18.3 grams total Diameter: 17.4 mm Closures: Fr...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Silver
Crown Trifari 1950s Vintage Rare Crystals Cluster Flower Bouquet Silver Earrings
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wokingham, England
Trifari created some of the most desirable costume jewellery of the twentieth century, many of its designers having trained and designed at Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. Among...
Silver
Crown Trifari 1950s Rare Gold White Pearls Wing Openwork Interlocked Earrings
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wokingham, England
Crown Trifari created some of the most desirable costume jewellery of the twentieth century, many of its designers having trained and designed at Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. ...
Gold Plate
CARTIER Rare Transformable Colombian Emerald & Gold Demi Parure, Andre Vassort
By Cartier
Located in New York, NY
Vassort became one of the most sought-after fabricators serving the Place Vendôme, executing work for Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Mauboussin, Chaumet, Hermès, Fred and Ha...
Emerald, Gold
Crown Trifari 1950s Gold Round Circle White Pearls Openwork Criss Cross Earrings
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wokingham, England
Crown Trifari created some of the most desirable costume jewellery of the twentieth century, many of its designers having trained and designed at Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. ...
Gold Plate
Crown Trifari 1950s Pearls White Flower Gold Oval Round Swirl Openwork Earrings
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wokingham, England
Crown Trifari created some of the most desirable costume jewellery of the twentieth century, many of its designers having trained and designed at Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. ...
Gold Plate
$35,200Sale Price|37% Off
Oscar Heyman Platinum 8.58tcw Diamond Door Knocker Earrings
By Oscar Heyman
Located in New York City, NY
Oscar Heyman was founded in 1912 and became known as the 'Jewelers' Jeweler'® for creating pieces for Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and Tiffany & Co. Oscar Heyman jewelry is and alway...
Diamond, Platinum
Multi-Gemstone Silver Earrings With Diamond Accents circa 1940s
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
These stunning circa 1940s multi-gemstone silver earrings are a exquisite example of vintage jewelry craftsmanship. Featuring a sophisticated combination of vibrant gemstones, includ...
Vintage 18 Karat Yellow Gold Georges Lenfant Woven Gold Earrings
By Georges L'Enfant
Located in New York, NY
This anonymity is a testament to the breadth of Lenfant’s collaborations, as he and his son, Jacques, lent their expertise to nearly every prestigious jewelry house imaginable, from ...
18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Crown Trifari by Alfred Philippe Jelly Belly Earrings 1940s
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Prior to Trifari, Alfred Philippe designed jewellery in Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Trifari’s best pieces now attract the attention of collectors and savvy style hunters alike.
Vintage Crown Trifari Crystal Swirl Earrings 1940s
By Trifari
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Prior to Trifari, Alfred Philippe designed jewellery in Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Trifari’s best pieces now attract the attention of collectors and savvy style hunters alike.
Vintage Trifari Pearl Stud Earrings 1970s
By Trifari
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Trifari are undoubtedly America's most prolific costume jewellery maker. Creating jewellery since the early 1900s. When the founder Gustavo Trifari partnered with two others, Krussma...
Van Cleef & Arpels Platinum Floral Cocktail Ring Ruby, Emerald, Sapphires
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Bring a feminine flair to your ensemble with this ultra-rare VCA cocktail ring. Circa 1950's, this cocktail ring is made from platinum and weighs 12.09 total grams. This beautiful ri...
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald, Diamond, Platinum, White Gold
Pearl & Diamond French Clip Earrings
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Features Cabochon cut Pink Sapphires are on both ends, five rows of round brilliant cut Pave set Diamonds and french clip closures. Total weight is 20.85g. A great vintage jewelry pi...
Diamond, Natural Pearl, Pink Sapphire, 14k Gold
Chaumet Paris Retro Ruby and Diamond Wide Bracelet with Brooch Clip in 18K Gold
By Chaumet
Located in Dallas, TX
The bracelet incorporates iconic ‘briquettes’ (brick-motif) pattern of highly articulated polished gold links, which was also popularized by Van Cleef & Arpels in their Ludo coll...
Diamond, Ruby, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Sasportas Sapphire Citrine Diamond Comet Clip Brooch, circa 1940s
By Sasportas
Located in Idar-Oberstein, DE
It was also used as a workshop by other French jewellery houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef and Arpels.
Citrine, Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Chanel Iridescent Camellia Costume Pearl Drop Clip-On Earrings circa 1998
By Chanel
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
For accessories, consider pairing them with a Cartier pearl necklace or Van Cleef & Arpels diamond studs to complete an elegant, luxurious look that embodies timeless style and r...
Crown Trifari 1950s Crystals Butterfly Dress Clip Vivid Double Oval Beads Brooch
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wokingham, England
Crown Trifari created some of the most desirable costume jewellery of the twentieth century, many of its designers having trained and designed at Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. ...
Gold Plate
Alexandre Reza, Rare Obsidian, Silver-Gilt, and Rock Crystal Circus Panther
Located in Long Island City, NY
After the war, he began his career as a diamond expert, traveling extensively to source each stone, which served as the key design inspiration for his work.Early on, he supplied gems...
Rock Crystal, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Silver
Vintage Crown Trifari Cabochon Turquoise Brooch and Earrings 1940s
By Trifari
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Prior to Trifari, Alfred Philippe designed jewellery in Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Trifari’s best pieces now attract the attention of collectors and savvy style hunters alike.
Yellow Beryl Earrings in Titanium and 18k Yellow Gold Art Deco Inspired Double
By Maximilian Hemmerle
Located in München, DE
Based on an original Art Deco era design by Maximilian Hemmerle's grandfather, former Creative Director at Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris, from the 1930s and reinterpreted through c...
Yellow Beryl, Beryl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Titanium
A rare enamelled metal and paste 'Two Birds ' brooch, Trifari, USA, 1930s
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Greyabbey, County Down
In 1930, they employed a young designer Alfred Philippe, who had been designing magnificent, stylish jewels for Van Cleef and Arpels, and Cartier. Philippe’s designs for Trifari are ...
Base Metal
Tiffany & Co. Edwardian Diamond Snake Barrette
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in New York, NY
More recently, in 2026, ornamenting the hair has attracted renewed interest among jewelry designers such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Jessica McCormick, and Boucheron.
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Platinum
Vintage Crown Trifari Art Deco Crystal Chandelier Earrings, 1950s
By Trifari
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Prior to Trifari, Alfred Philippe designed jewellery in Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Trifari’s best pieces now attract the attention of collectors and savvy style hunters alike.
Crown Trifari 1950s Vintage Rare Gold Coral Cabochon Interlocked Linked 2 Set
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wokingham, England
Crown Trifari created some of the most desirable costume jewellery of the twentieth century, many of its designers having trained and designed at Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. ...
Gold Plate
Crown Trifari 1950s Vintage Gold Red Cranberry Fruit Filigree Festive 2 Set
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Wokingham, England
Crown Trifari created some of the most desirable costume jewellery of the twentieth century, many of its designers having trained and designed at Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. ...
Gold Plate
Trifari Alfred Philippe Rhodium Plated Silver Tassel Chain Earrings MidCentury
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Chicago, IL
These mid-century platinum-like silver tassel chain drop earrings were designed by Trifari Artistic Director Alfred Philippe in an Art Deco style that recalls his earlier work for Ca...
Rhodium, Silver, Base Metal
Long green blue tourmaline tanzanite drop earrings 18k 750 white gold cabochon
By Maximilian Hemmerle
Located in München, DE
DESIGNER & HERITAGE MXHM unites two distinguished traditions: the Bavarian heritage of court jewelers known for precision and excellence, and the Parisian design lineage of René ...
Tanzanite, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, White Gold
Diamond Rock Crystal Drop Earrings in 18k White Gold with 1.25 Carat Brilliants
By Maximilian Hemmerle
Located in München, DE
Maternally, his grandfather René Sim Lacaze was former Head Designer of Van Cleef & Arpels. Within MXHM, this cultural lineage informs a dialogue between classical lapidary artistry ...
Diamond, Rock Crystal, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage Crown Trifari Moonstone Leaf Brooch 1940s
By Trifari
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Prior to Trifari, Alfred Philippe designed jewellery in Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Trifari’s best pieces now attract the attention of collectors and savvy style hunters alike.
$6,360Sale Price|20% Off
Andre Vassort 1960 France 18Kt Cocktail Ring with 1.02 Ct Diamonds Coral & Onyx
By Andre Vassort
Located in Miami, FL
Whether you see it on a Boucheron bracelet, a Van Cleef & Arpels sautoir or a pair of Vassort ear clips, the mark of André Vassort is a mark of quality craftsmanship and fine jewelry.
Coral, Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Crown Trifari Art Deco Alfred Philippe Brooch 1940s
By Trifari
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Prior to Trifari, Alfred Philippe designed jewellery in Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Trifari’s best pieces now attract the attention of collectors and savvy style hunters alike.
Trifari Alfred Philippe Gold Tassel Drop Earrings & Heavy Chain Sautoir c1930s
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Chicago, IL
-copyright symbol on all three matching pieces, this likely late-1930s highly-textured yellow-gold-plated demi-parure was designed by American Trifari's French-born head designer Alf...
Gold, Yellow Gold, Gilt Metal
Trifari Philippe Gold Tassel Earrings Crystal Diamante Link Collar Parure c1950
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Chicago, IL
For Trifari by mid-century, its artistic director French-born Alfred Philippe designed this yellow-gold set including the seven-bar linked collar with central invisibly-set diamante,...
Crystal, Gilt Metal, Gold, Yellow Gold, Base Metal
Trifari Philippe 4 Piece Parure Crystal Floral Gold Earrings Brooch Choker c1940
By Alfred Philippe for Trifari
Located in Chicago, IL
In the late 1940s for Trifari, its French-born artistic director Alfred Philippe, who had earlier created fine jewelry for Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, designed this flora-mot...
Diamond, Crystal, Yellow Gold, Gold Plate, Gold
Vourakis Vintage Platinum Diamond Pearl Drop Earrings, Circa 2000s
By Vourakis
Located in New York, NY
It is often compared with the work of Van Cleef & Arpels, for whom Vourakis produced jewels in the 1950s and 1960s.
Cultured Pearl, Diamond, Platinum, 14k Gold
$32,000
VCA Rose de Noel Earrings
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Sarasota, FL
Van Cleef & Arpels Black MOP 'Rose de Noel' Ear Clip Earrings In 18k White Gold (Medium).
18k Gold
One of the world’s foremost jewelry houses, Van Cleef & Arpels is particularly noted for a focus on technical virtuosity, craftsmanship and artistry, evident since its beginning. Rather than create earrings, bracelets, necklaces and other adornments primarily for the aim of displaying of wealth and opulence, Van Cleef & Arpels sought to produce jewelry that projected the wearer’s taste and style.
The company was formed a year after the 1895 marriage of Alfred Van Cleef, the son of a gem cutter, to Estelle Arpels, daughter of precious-stones dealer Salomon Arpels. Ten years later, Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first boutique on the Place Vendôme in Paris, setting the march on a square now crowded with dealers in bijouterie. (The company still occupies the New York flagship store opened in 1939 at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.)
Born from a union of expertise in both jewelry making and gem selection, Van Cleef & Arpels distinguished itself with both the consistency of the color and clarity of its stones and the creativity of its designs. In doing so, the house would win a roster of dedicated, fashion-conscious clients that included the Duchess of Windsor, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Hutton, Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor. In 1933, Van Cleef & Arpels patented its trademark Mystery Setting — a technique by which gems are fitted into an intricate matrix of slots and “drawers” that keep the setting hidden. Another signal innovation was the Zip necklace, introduced in 1951, which can be worn either around the neck or, with the zipper closed, as a bracelet.
But as much as to the firm’s craftsmanship, clients have been drawn by the insouciance and playfulness of Van Cleef & Arpels designers, as well as their attunement to the cultural climate. After the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the company produced several lavish pieces featuring hieroglyphics and other Egyptian motifs to go along with the geometric Art Deco jewelry of that decade and the next. Following World War II, as symbols of freedom and rebirth, the firm focused on naturalistic forms such as birds, flowers, fruit and flying insects. High society’s 1960s fascination with the Near East and India prompted such pieces as the best-selling Alhambra necklace, popularized by Princess Grace.
Lately, attention among collectors and connoisseurs has centered on Van Cleef & Arpels’s quality of workmanship as much as its glamour. The firm was the subject of a 2012 show at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, as well as exhibitions at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, in 2013 and at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2014.
Find an exquisite collection of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry on 1stDibs.
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
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.