Earrings
1990s Italian Modernist Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Modernist Earrings
Ruby, Quartz, White Diamond, Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
2010s Indian Anglo-Indian Earrings
18k Gold, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
2010s Belgian Art Deco Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, White Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Unknown Vintage Earrings
Diamond, 15k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold
2010s Victorian Earrings
Rainbow Moonstone, Moonstone, Sterling Silver, Silver
2010s Victorian Earrings
Onyx, Topaz, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Citrine, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, White Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Earrings
Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Earrings
Ruby, Diamond, Yellow Gold
1990s Italian Modern Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold
1990s Italian Modern Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Earrings
Onyx, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Earrings
Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
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.