Collection: Antique Earrings

What to Look For When Buying

The fittings tell you a great deal about an earring's history. Georgian and early Victorian earrings were made for pierced ears with simple hook or shepherd's crook wires, while screw fittings and clips are twentieth century developments. Because fittings are the part most often replaced, a converted post on an early pair is common and worth knowing about rather than being a cause for concern. What matters is whether the conversion was carried out sympathetically, without drilling into original metal or disturbing settings. Check that a pair is genuinely a pair, since matched singles are sometimes brought together later, and small differences in the depth of a setting, the colour of the gold or the cut of a stone will usually reveal it.

Examine how weight is carried. Long drop earrings place considerable strain on a small attachment point, and wear at the loop or the articulating joint is the most common structural fault in the form. Closed back settings, particularly on Georgian and early Victorian pieces, often contain foiled stones, where a thin metal foil behind the stone provides the colour. These settings must remain dry, and any piece constructed this way should be described as such. Every pair in the collection is assessed for hallmarks, maker signatures, materials and construction before listing, and our team can advise on the condition of a specific pair before a purchase is made.

Caring for Your Piece

Put earrings on last and remove them first, which keeps them clear of hairspray, perfume and cosmetics, all of which dull stones and leave residue in fine settings. Store each pair in its own soft pouch or lined compartment rather than loose in a dish, where hooks tangle and harder stones scratch softer metals. Fine chain and articulated drops benefit from being laid flat rather than hung, which prevents the links carrying weight in storage. For routine cleaning, a soft dry cloth is sufficient. Do not use ultrasonic cleaners on antique earrings under any circumstances, as vibration loosens grain and claw settings and destroys foiled stones and enamel. Have fittings checked by a jeweller if a piece is worn regularly, since a worn hook or a tired screw thread is the most common way a good earring is lost.

Periods Worth Knowing

Georgian earrings are the scarcest, typically closed back, foiled and made in silver or low carat gold with a hand finished irregularity that is part of their appeal. Victorian earrings run from restrained early studs and small hoops to the long, elaborate drops of the mid century and the lighter novelty forms of the 1880s and 1890s. Edwardian work introduces platinum, milgrain detailing and a pearl and diamond palette of considerable delicacy, while Art Deco earrings return to geometry, with strong lines, contrasting stones and a precision of setting that holds up under magnification.