Victorian Mourning Earrings
Antique Late 19th Century Dangle Earrings
Gold
Recent Sales
Antique 1890s English Victorian Dangle Earrings
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Art Nouveau Hoop Earrings
Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Brooches
Pearl, 14k Gold
Antique 19th Century British Victorian Hoop Earrings
9k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century English Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold, 9k Gold
Antique 19th Century Unknown Victorian Drop Earrings
Onyx, Pearl, 14k Gold, 9k Gold
Antique 1850s Victorian Dangle Earrings
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1880s Victorian Dangle Earrings
14k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique 1890s French Late Victorian Hoop Earrings
Agate, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1890s Victorian Drop Necklaces
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Antique 18th Century British Georgian Signet Rings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Victorian Mourning Earrings For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Victorian Mourning Earrings?
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021As the name suggests, mourning jewelry represents connection to a deceased individual or loved one. In the Victorian era, people were expected to wear mourning clothing and accessories following the death of a loved one. As brooches were popular during the Victorian period, they became a favorite for those who wanted to memorialize the dead. Find a collection of vintage and antique brooches on 1stDibs today.