Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 10

CatEyeMoonstones Antique PinkTranslucentBallCut 14MM SterlingLeverClip Earrings

About the Item

Rare wide cat's-eye, translucent, blue-tone strong pink, near spherical, 14mm moonstones with misty lavender-white schiller are showcased on these antique sterling-silver hinged-clip lever earrings from the early 20th Century. They could be mistaken for exceptional Quahog pearls with porcelaneous luster--until a new angle of light shifts their adularescence. Bright, billowy and unusually-shaped ones like these with art-glass qualities were in demand in the early-20th Century after Tiffany & Co's first design director Louis Comfort Tiffany, who was also a glass-medium artist, debuted his Art Nouveau jewelry designs featuring moonstones at major design exhibitions around the world. Aside from the atypical color and lack of distracting inclusions like specs or flakes, these earrings are exceptional for such large nearly-ball-cut moonstones without damage. Most moonstones were cut as shallow cabochons to minimize abrasions, and even then rarely used in rings or bracelets where damage is more likely to occur. It required incredible lapidary skills to sculpt these luminous pink bulbous cabochons so that they appear to nearly match. Fittingly, they are simply set like South Sea pearls so that their inner sheen can be appreciated from many points of view. In natural light, these moonstones have inner lavender shadows, while they appear pink with silvery-white flash like a cat's eye in incandescent light.
More From This SellerView All
  • LineVautrin MidCentury Set EnamelCarvedResinEdelweiss BrassClipEarrings & Brooch
    By Line Vautrin
    Located in Chicago, IL
    Line Vautrin created "flame-radiating" resin mirrors in mid-century that are very similar to this sculptural resin edelweiss set of highly-textural, hand-carved and enameled convex b...
    Category

    Early 20th Century French Artist Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Brass, Enamel

  • MiriamHaskell 1926-39 ArtDeco Enamel Aqua GiltFiligree Scallop BrassClipEarrings
    By Miriam Haskell
    Located in Chicago, IL
    During the Art Deco period, Miriam Haskell and her first designer since 1926 Frank Hess created these blue-tone enameled scallop-edged Russian-gilt brass earrings with intricate wire...
    Category

    Early 20th Century American Art Deco Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Turquoise, Yellow Gold, Gilt Metal, Enamel, Brass, Gold

  • Couture 1950s WestGermany DiorDesigner Crystal DoubleTrimmed EmeraldCut Earrings
    By Christian Dior Haute Couture
    Located in Chicago, IL
    While making similar Christian Dior haute-couture costume-jewelry in mid-century, designer Max Muller based near Kaufbeuren, Western Germany, created these exceptionally clear crysta...
    Category

    Mid-20th Century German Modern Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Crystal, Silver, Gilt Metal

  • Schreiner 1950s 22 RuffleProngSetCrystals PaleYellow AuroraBorealis ClipEarrings
    By Henry Schreiner
    Located in Chicago, IL
    In 1956 when Christian Dior's ultra-feminine New Look had dominated fashion for nearly a decade, Schreiner New York handcrafted these opulent unsigned earrings with 22 prong-set open-back crystals to accompany the evening-wear of an American high-end fashion designer. They may have been for client Pauline Trigere when her ready-to-wear collections with accessories including unmarked-Schreiner jewelry were sold by NYC's Bergdorf Goodman and worn by her clients including Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Elizabeth Taylor. Comparatively, Schreiner jewelry produced in the 1950s for direct sale to high-end department stores, such as Neiman Marcus, Henri Bendel and Saks Fifth Avenue, were the only pieces to include a brand signature. Using the best quality European crystals that were custom-made for him, the founder Henry Schreiner was among the world's leading glass-jewelry designers before he died in 1954, whereafter his daughter and her husband continued with their handcrafted production. The family shared this distinction with Western Germany-based Max Muller and Paris-based Roger Jean Pierre, who were commissioned to create haute-couture pieces for the world's leading fashion houses. Notably in 1949, Henry Schreiner was commissioned by Dior to create several exclusive pieces. We know these earrings were not created earlier than 1956 because of the use of iridescent coating on some of the crystals that produces a rainbow effect. Known as aurora-borealis (AB) stones, Swarovski initially produced them exclusively for a haute-couture collection that year by Dior. Shortly thereafter, the Schreiner team had access to such colorful stones, and most certainly used them as soon as possible to enable their American fashion-designer clients to compete with the new Dior iridescent-colors trend. As Schreiner introduced its "ruffle" settings in 1957, we can see that they evolved from a smaller ruffle the year prior that is present on the tips of the marquise-shaped pale yellow stones...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s American Modern Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Crystal, Yellow Gold, Gilt Metal

  • MiriamHaskell 1945 CrystalRosesMontees Filigree Glass Enameled ClimberEarrings
    By Frank Hess for Miriam Haskell
    Located in Chicago, IL
    Before the brand signature was added in 1947, Miriam Haskell's first designer Frank Hess since 1926 designed these asymmetrical Baroque-style climber earrings with hand-painted white-and-ecru enamel leaves, crystal and glass beads, and Russian-gold gilt metal flowers, which are attached to a thick filigree branch that launched the post-war style of covering wires used to attach roses montees and beads behind an additional filigree plate. A similarly constructed and shaped pale-blue pair of climbers dated 1945 are in the renowned Barbara Berger museum-exhibited costume-jewelry collection. Characteristic of the materials favored by Hess for his designs, the clear rosette-cut rhinestones, intricate gilt-metal decorations, and white round glass beads were handcrafted in France by Parisian Louis Rousselet, who was among the first paruriers for Coco Chanel's couture clothing since the 1920s. In contrast to bold costume-jewelry by Chanel using...
    Category

    Vintage 1940s American Art Nouveau Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Crystal, Pearl, Gold, Enamel, Gilt Metal

  • HattieCarnegie 1955 Glass Crystal HandWired MixedBead GiltMetal Clip Earrings
    By Hattie Carnegie
    Located in Chicago, IL
    These Hattie Carnegie multicolor glass, crystal and gilt-metal earrings notably include her script last-name signature without copyright symbol that was used on clips before her deat...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s American Baroque Revival Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Crystal, Coral, Gold, Brass, Copper, Gilt Metal

You May Also Like
  • Earrings with 1.50 Ct of Navette and Brilliant Cut Diamonds Made in Italy
    Located in Rome, IT
    The are earrings are formed by a rectangle of diamonds with 6 navette cut diamonds in the center. The total weight of the diamonds is: ct 1.50. The earrings have a clip and pin clo...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    18k Gold, White Gold

  • Cluster Earring, with Diamonds Total Carat 8.98 Ct, Emeralds Total Carat Ct 4.90
    Located in Rome, IT
    The cluster model earrings with pear-cut diamonds and emeralds, with two brilliant-cut diamonds in the center. N ° 10 pear cut diamonds total weight 8.50 ct N ° 2 brilliant cut diam...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Italian Retro Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Diamond, Emerald, White Gold

  • Earrings with 2.60 Ct of Baguette and Diamond Cut Diamonds, 18 Kt Gold
    Located in Rome, IT
    The earrings are each made up of 2 rows of baguette-cut diamonds and 2 diamond-cut files, the total weight of the diamonds is ct 2.60. Their shape is semi-circle. The closure is wit...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold

  • Openwork Drop Earrings with Diamonds and Emeralds 18 Kt Burnished White Gold
    Located in Rome, IT
    Drop-shaped pendant earrings, entirely pierced with emerald pave with a total weight of 16.74 ct and diamonds with a total weight of 1.63 ct. The earrings are in burnished 18 Kt whi...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Drop Earrings

    Materials

    Diamond, Emerald, White Gold

  • Blue Topaz Diamond 18 Carat White Gold Clip-On Earrings
    By Esther Eyre
    Located in London, GB
    Enchanting blue topaz earrings in 18 carat white gold with diamond details. Esther Eyre has been designing and making precious jewellery for over twenty years. She trained at Kings...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary British Baroque Revival Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Blue Topaz, Diamond, Topaz, White Gold

  • Ruby Yellow Gold 22-Karat Gold 18-Karat Gold Post and Clip Earrings
    By Pamela Farland
    Located in New York, NY
    Shield domed earrings in 22 karat gold with granulation and rubies .35carats posts and omega back clips in 18 Karat gold. the earrings are 7/8 o...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary American Classical Greek Clip-on Earrings

    Materials

    Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold

Recently Viewed

View All