Cartier Reflection Earrings
1990s Unknown Stud Earrings
Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Rock Crystal, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Hoop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Chandelier Earrings
14k Gold
2010s French Choker Necklaces
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary American Modernist Hoop Earrings
Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1980s Italian Retro Cluster Rings
Sapphire, Rock Crystal, Diamond, Crystal, Platinum, White Gold, 14k Gold
1990s American Modern Dangle Earrings
Gold Plate
1990s French Cluster Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s French More Rings
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1980s American Band Rings
Tourmaline, 14k Gold
Vintage 1980s French Cluster Rings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary French Contemporary Stud Earrings
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s Modern Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s French Modern Bracelets
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Clip-on Earrings
14k Gold
Early 2000s Hoop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s French Modernist Cocktail Rings
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s French Band Rings
Emerald, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s Unknown Modern Fashion Rings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Recent Sales
Vintage 1950s American Dangle Earrings
Crystal, Rhodium
1990s French Contemporary Hoop Earrings
18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Contemporary Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Stud Earrings
White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Stud Earrings
White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Hoop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1960s American Drop Earrings
Early 2000s French Hoop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
2010s French Modern Hoop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Hoop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
2010s American Modern Hoop Earrings
Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
2010s American Modern Band Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
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.