Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Fascination with the Jazz Age is endless, and even today jewelry designers continue to be inspired by authentic Art Deco jewelry and watches.
The Art Deco period, encompassing the 1920s and ’30s, ushered in a very distinct look in the design of jewelry. There were many influences on the jewelry of the era that actually began to take shape prior to the 1920s. In 1909, Serge Diaghilev brought the Ballet Russes to Paris, and women went wild for the company’s exotic and vibrant costumes It’s no wonder, then, that jade, lapis lazuli, coral, turquoise and other bright gemstones became all the rage. There already existed a fascination with the East, particularly China and Japan, and motifs consisting of fans and masks started to show up in Art Deco jewelry.
However, the event that had the greatest influence on Deco was the excavation of the tomb of King Tut in 1922. When the world saw what was hidden in Tut’s burial chamber, it sent just about everyone into a frenzy. Pierre Cartier wrote in 1923 that “the discovery of the tomb will bring some sweeping changes in fashion jewelry.” And he couldn’t have been more right. “Egyptomania” left an indelible mark on all of the major jewelry houses, from Cartier to Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Georges Fouquet. (Cartier created some of the most iconic jewelry designs that defined this era.)
While a lot of Art Deco jewelry was black and white — the black coming from the use of onyx or black enamel and the white from rock crystal and diamonds — there is plenty of color in jewelry of the era. A perfect accent to diamonds in platinum settings were blue sapphires, emeralds and rubies, and these stones were also used in combination with each other.
Many designers employed coral, jade and lapis lazuli, too. In fact, some of the most important avant-garde jewelers of the period, like Jean Després and Jean Fouquet (son of Georges), would combine white gold with ebony and malachite for a jolt of color.
A lot of the jewelry produced during this time nodded to current fashion trends, and women often accessorized their accessories. The cloche hat was often accented with geometric diamond brooches or double-clip brooches. Backless evening dresses looked fabulous with sautoir necklaces, and long pearl necklaces that ended with tassels, popular during the Edwardian period, were favored by women everywhere, including Coco Chanel.
Find unique Art Deco necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
Late 20th Century Italian Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Amethyst, Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, 9k Gold
1930s French Vintage Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
20th Century American Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Blue Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold
1930s British Vintage Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 14k Gold
20th Century Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
20th Century British Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Tanzanite, Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Thai Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Tanzanite, 18k Gold
1930s Unknown Vintage Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Coral, Diamond, Steel
Late 20th Century Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Citrine, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s American Vintage Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, White Gold
1920s French Vintage Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Natural Pearl, Oriental Pearl, Platinum
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, 14k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, White Gold
1930s American Vintage Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
1940s American Vintage Art Deco Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Star Sapphire, Platinum
