Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Earrings
Cultured Pearl, Tourmaline, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Earrings
Amethyst, Citrine, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Earrings
Amethyst, Citrine, Topaz, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Earrings
White Diamond, Ruby, Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold
Late 20th Century Earrings
18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Earrings
Diamond, Onyx, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Earrings
Pearl, Black Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold, Rhodium, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Earrings
Amethyst, Citrine, Topaz, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Earrings
Pearl, Peridot, 14k Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Contemporary Earrings
Citrine, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Artist Earrings
Black Pearl, Diamond, Iolite, Pearl, 14k Gold, Gold, Silver, White Gold
1990s Earrings
Diamond, Amethyst, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Italian Earrings
Blue Sapphire, Gold
Late 20th Century Modern Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century Italian Earrings
Citrine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Italian Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1990s American Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1990s Unknown Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s Italian Vintage Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Shop Now: Antique and Vintage Earrings for Sale 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.