Mid Century Drop Earrings
Mid century drop earrings bring together mid-century design and movement, offering distinct profiles that collectors wear today.
Mid Century Drop Earrings
Mid century drop earrings encompass pieces primarily originating from the 1950s and 1960s, alongside occasional earlier 1930s designs that share similar aesthetic lines. These items range from simple tassel fringe and sunburst configurations to elaborate diamond, pearl, and aquamarine suites.
The most common examples encountered on this page feature gold or white gold settings suspended with diamonds, pearls, or coloured gemstones like aquamarine and emerald. Buyers find both classic screwback and modern lever-back fastenings across these decades.
Materials and Techniques
Craftsmen built these pieces using varied gold standards including 9ct, 14ct, and 18ct white and yellow gold, frequently pairing them with platinum for secure gemstone settings. Stones such as diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, opals, and pearls were meticulously cut and mounted into drop configurations to catch the light during movement.
Techniques relied on traditional claw, baguette, and cluster settings alongside specialist enamelling and fringe assembly. Goldsmiths balanced substantial carat weights of stones with wearable mountings, ensuring the drop proportions remained graceful.
Judging Quality
Quality rests on the selection and matching of gemstones, from the clarity of diamonds and aquamarines to the lustre of south sea and standard pearls. Superior pieces demonstrate deliberate stone sizing, clean metalwork, and secure fastenings that support the weight of the drop without tilting.
Design ambition also divides the range, separating standard commercial production from sophisticated modernist forms and substantial multi-stone suites. The integration of high-carat emeralds, sapphires, or opals alongside old cut diamonds elevates a piece considerably.
Harold Arthur Lazarus
The Mid Century Drop Earrings Glossary
- Lever-back
- A hinged earring fastening featuring a curved lever that snaps shut behind the earlobe for security. This mechanism became popular for securing heavier drop designs.
- Screwback
- An earring closure adjusted by turning a threaded screw against the lobe rather than piercing the ear. These appear frequently on mid-century non-pierced designs.
- Baguette cut
- A rectangular gemstone cut with step facets, typically used as side stones to frame larger centre diamonds or coloured stones.
- Old cut
- A traditional diamond cutting style characterised by a small table, high crown, and open culet, common in mid-century jewellery utilising earlier stones.
Mid Century Drop Earrings: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I wear mid century drop earrings?
These earrings pair easily with evening wear or tailored daytime outfits where their movement can be fully appreciated. Their distinct silhouettes draw attention upwards towards the face.
Consider matching the metal colour with other accessories, though mixed white and yellow gold pieces allow for versatile styling across different outfits.
Are these earrings suitable for unpierced ears?
Several examples utilise screwback mechanisms designed specifically for unpierced lobes. These provide adjustable pressure to keep the drop secure throughout wear.
Buyers with pierced ears can often find traditional post or lever-back variants, or consult a jeweller regarding conversion options.
How do I date mid century drop earrings?
Dating relies on stylistic clues such as modernist geometric lines, the popularity of white gold or platinum, and specific gemstone cuts like baguettes and old cuts. Hallmarks stamped into the gold can also indicate the specific decade of manufacture.
Pieces from the 1950s often favour bolder cluster and sunburst motifs, whereas 1960s examples lean towards abstract modernist configurations.
What gemstones are common in these earrings?
Diamonds and pearls appear frequently, often combined in white gold or platinum settings to create crisp, luminous contrasts. Coloured stones such as aquamarine, sapphire, emerald, and opal also feature prominently in drop configurations.
Carat weights vary from subtle accent stones to substantial multi-carat centre gems set within elaborate suites.