Oscar De La Renta Rhinestone Earrings
1990s American Chandelier Earrings
2010s American Hoop Earrings
20th Century American Artist Clip-on Earrings
Mixed Metal
20th Century American Artist Clip-on Earrings
Mixed Metal
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary American Artisan Cocktail Rings
Sapphire, Tourmaline, 14k Gold, White Gold
1990s American Clip-on Earrings
Sterling Silver
2010s African Artisan Dome Rings
Blue Topaz, Topaz, Amethyst, Sterling Silver, Silver, Platinum
Vintage 1980s Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1980s French Modern Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1980s French Modern Drop Earrings
Mixed Metal
Vintage 1980s French Modern Drop Earrings
Mixed Metal
20th Century French Link Necklaces
2010s African Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Amethyst, Zircon, Platinum, Sterling Silver
1990s French Romantic Clip-on Earrings
Gold Plate, Bronze, Enamel, Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s American Modern Choker Necklaces
2010s African Artisan Cocktail Rings
Pink Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Chrysoberyl, Sterling Silver, Pl...
2010s Balinese Artist Cocktail Rings
Sterling Silver
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Drop Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Nouveau Cocktail Rings
Topaz, Blue Topaz, Silver, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1950s French Medieval Dangle Earrings
Gilt Metal, Gold Plate, Bronze, Enamel
Recent Sales
20th Century Unknown Clip-on Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Choker Necklaces
20th Century American Art Deco Drop Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Clip-on Earrings
Other, Gilt Metal
Vintage 1960s American Clip-on Earrings
Vintage 1960s American Clip-on Earrings
20th Century American Drop Earrings
Gold Plate
2010s Braces
Vintage 1980s American Modern Clip-on Earrings
Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary American Clip-on Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Clip-on Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Drop Earrings
1990s American Drop Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary Drop Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Dangle Earrings
Mid-20th Century Czech Dangle Earrings
21st Century and Contemporary American Drop Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary American Drop Necklaces
21st Century and Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Early 2000s American Clip-on Earrings
20th Century Brooches
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.