Tiffany Amber Earrings
Early 2000s Italian Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amber, Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s American Modern Drop Earrings
Amber, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Dangle Earrings
Amber, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Cocktail Rings
Jade, Tsavorite, Amber, 18k Gold, White Gold
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Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Tennis Bracelets
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, White Gold, Platinum
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Jade, 18k Gold
2010s Choker Necklaces
Diamond, White Diamond, Platinum
Vintage 1960s American Modernist Brooches
Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s French Retro Dangle Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
2010s Italian Modern Chain Bracelets
Yellow Gold
Vintage 1960s Italian Modernist Retro Bracelets
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s American Modern Drop Necklaces
Jade, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century French Modern Link Bracelets
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Early 2000s Unknown Contemporary Charm Bracelets
Iolite, Peridot, Tourmaline, Silver, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1970s Italian Drop Necklaces
Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s American Modernist Cocktail Rings
Jade, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Gold
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
Vintage 1960s American Retro Brooches
Pearl, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s American Modern Link Bracelets
Sterling Silver
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amber, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century American Contemporary Drop Earrings
Amber, 18k Gold
1990s American Retro Clip-on Earrings
Amber, Yellow Gold, Silver
Vintage 1980s Unknown Modern Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
1990s Unknown Stud Earrings
Citrine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s American Clip-on Earrings
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.