Posts Tagged ‘goldsmith’

LONG AND LIGHT EARRINGS
Right: A pair of gold repousse and turquoise pendent earrings, circa 1840. Turquoise and carbuncles in association with gold repousse work were particularly favoured at the time.
Below: A portrait miniature of a lady, by Leopold Grosz (or Gross), circa 183o. Note the fashionable coiffure with hair arranged in three clusters of curls expanding sideways, counterbalanced by cannetille earrings en girandole.
Bottom: Two pairs of repousse gold earrings, circa 1840, one with carbuncle the other with polychrome enamel.
Left and below: Four pairs of pendent earrings, set with citrines and pink topazes, circa 1835, characterized by the combination of cannetille and repousse work which marks the transition between the two goldsmith techniques used in this type of earring.
Typically all the earrings illustrated on these pages are long, light, set with semiprecious gemstones or decorated with polychrome enamels and of moderate intrinsic value.
Left: Three pairs of pendent earrings circa
I 870-8o, English, set with diamonds or pearl and diamonds. The designs, though more rigid and stiff, are close to the contemporary French examples illustrated above, but their fluttering ribbons and garland motifs are replaced by plain lines of diamonds.
THE 1860s AND 1870s: BIZARRE VARIETY
In the i86os and 187os earrings became extremely popular, and the fashionable lady would suspend virtually anything from her ears providing it was decorative. Objects of common use such as baskets of flowers or hammers, animals and archaeologically
A parure of emerald, pearl and diamond earrings and matching necklace, with the relevant design, commissioned by Napoleon III and Eugenie from the Parisian jeweller Mellerio in 1863 as a wedding gift to Mar6chal Canrobert. The impact of these earrings relies on the use of important gemstones such as the large cabochon emerald drops rather than the explicit archaeological motifs, though the Greek key pattern and the extensive use of yellow gold even for the setting of the diamonds betrays an archaeological interest. Emeralds were the favourite coloured gemstones of the Empress Eugenie and because of this became one of the most popular gemstones of the time.
WAFER-THIN: EARRINGS OF THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Right: A portrait of Maria de la Conception Rodriguez of Granada, painted by Jose Gil in 1816. Her earrings, typical of the early i 9th century, are two circular gold plaques set with corals connected by fine chains. Their linearity and two-dimensional quality is well suited to the low d6collet6 and contemporary hairstyle of Classical inspiration.
Above left: A diamond pendent earring, early
i 9th century, showing how the structure of the contemporary gold earrings made of articulated plaques was rendered, almost unaltered, in lavish gemstones such as diamonds.
Above right: Pair of gold earrings, early i 9th century, made of several paper-thin gold plaques of different shapes connected by lateral chains.
Above left: Pair of gold earrings, early i 9th century. Although quite long, these earrings are comfortable to wear because they are cut out of very thin and light gold sheet and not set with gemstones.
Above right: A pair of gold and enamel pendent earrings, probably French, early T 9th century, decorated with portrait miniatures of a man and his wife. Though the design is typical of the
time, this pair presents unusual sentimental imagery: a dove, a pair of flaming hearts, the inscription ‘Fidel’ and forget-me-nots.
TORPEDO-SHAPED DROPS OF THE
1830s AND 1840s
Opposite and below: Three pairs of gold, chalcedony and gem-set pendent earrings, each accompanied by a typical Maltese cross pendant en suite, circa 1830. Contemporary fashion encouraged the use of such elongated drops decorated with applied gold floral motifs, often set with turquoises or other coloured gemstones. They were carved in white or stained chalcedony, usually blue or green.
Right and far right: Two examples of repouss~ gold earrings of elongated drop design, circa 1840, the first applied with turquoise florets, the second decorated with quatrefoil motifs suspended from a shell-shaped surmount. Earrings of this type were usually made of thin foils of metal decorated en repousse and extremely long (i0-12 ems). Their size and lightness were dictated by fashion and economic factors. The exaggerated horizontal lines of dress and hairstyle needed to be offset by long pendants, while at the same time the scarcity of precious metal encouraged the use of wafer-thin foil of embossed gold.
Below centre: A gold and gem-set torpedo-shaped earring, circa 1835, combining embossed and cannetille decoration.
FROM CANNETILLE TO REPOUSSE
Left: Two gold cannetille, diamond and gem-set parures, English, circa T 830. In both cases the parures include a pair of earrings set with rubies and emeralds respectively. Though the design is that of the traditional girandole, the setting in cannetille is typical of the time, the design of the earrings matching those of the necklace
pendants. On the Continent canetille earrings were mainly set with semiprecious stones such as foiled topazes, amethysts and citrines. In England more expensive gemstones such as emeralds, diamonds and rubies were often used.
Right: An exceptional pair of pendent earrings set with aquamarines within repouss~ gold borders, circa 1835. These earrings are typical of the time for their length (12 CMS approximately), for their lightness (15 grams) and for the choice of the stones, two large kite-shaped aquamarines. The lightness of the mount makes them comfortable to wear in spite of their size. Gold repouss~ work replaced cannetille because it was cheaper to manufacture and used small quantities of precious metal.
EGYPTIAN AND CLASSICAL STYLE
Above: An impressive pair of gold earrings and matching necklace, circa I 870. The dominating element of these jewels is the pharaoh mask, so the Egyptian inspiration is sufficiently obvious. Nonetheless the surmount is Classical Greek, a rosette; I 9th-century revivalism was often the result of such combination of elements deriving from different cultures and periods.
Opposite:
A group of Classical revival earrings, circa 1865. Top left: laurel leaf suspended from an Athenian owl surmount. Top right: A pair of gold rams’ head earrings, deriving its design from Greek examples of the late Classical period, the antique counterparts usually consist of a tapered hoop to be inserted into the earlobe terminating with a rams’ head motif, in this case the rams’ head is suspended from a rosette surmount. Below left: A pair of gold and cornelian intaglio earrings, by Castellani, incorporating original Roman intaglios that depict a trophy of arms and a hunting scene. Below right: A pair of gold pendent earrings, by Ernesto Pierret, each designed as a triangular panel decorated with beaded work and corded wire typical of Greek and Etruscan goldsmithwork, flanked by baton motifs with spherical drop terminals.
Opposite: Two pairs of Roman earrings, circa 1870- The first by Civilotti of Rome, combines elements from various sources. The amphora motifs in matt gold find precise counterparts in Greek and Etruscan examples, the gold mosaic plaque with its Christian symbolism is reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics, while the lilies of the circular surmounts belong unmistakably to the i 9th century. The second pair, of gold and Roman mosaic, carry lozenge-shaped plaques with portraits of Sabina and Maximus Caesar. Note in this case the contrast between the sober, classical lines of the pendant and the frivolous design of the floral surmount.
Above: A pair of gold and enamel pendent earrings, circa 1870, in the shape of stylized amphorae. The design has no specific counterpart in Antiquity but is a pastiche of various elements. The amphora motif derives from a popular type of Hellenistic earring; the granulation and corded wire decoration from Greek and Etruscan tradition; and the stylized papyri and palmettos in bright contrasting colours are Egyptian.
Left: A pair of gold and Roman mosaic earrings, circa 1870, in the shape of ewers. The gold chains with pearl terminals are meant to simulate water being poured out — an amusing i 9th-century touch not to be found in Antiquity.
A RANGE OF REVIVALS: THE 1870s
Many Classical designs took the amphora as their model, in, for instance,
tortoiseshell (right) or lapis lazuli (below right). Rams’ heads feature as a pair of gold earrings (below).
Above: Gold and enamel a baule earrings in the Etruscan tradition, seen in front, back and side views. Right top left to bottom right: Hardstonc maenad heads set in elaborate gold and enamel mounts; gold rosette; Wedgwood jasper-ware drops decorated with a white figurative frieze on a blue ground; two earrings based on amphorae in matt gold; and finally a pair of Japanese-influenced gold and polychrome enamel earrings designed as fans on screens.
LIGHTHEARTED EARRINGS OF THE 1860s AND 1870s
Common features of these earrings are a playful naturalistic inspiration, the use of relatively inexpensive material such as gold, enamel, ivory and turquoises, and the combination of bright colours. They are in line with the concept of novelty jewellery, more a fashion accessory —hence the low value of the materials — than precious heirlooms to be treasured.
Left-hand column
Above: A pair of gold and turquoise pendent earrings in the shape of bulrush sprays, the heads pave-set with turquoises. English, circa i 86o.
Below: A pair of gold and enamel earrings, French, circa 18 70, designed as birds nesting in bulrushes.
Centre column
Above: A pair of gold and tinted intaglio earrings, English, circa 1870, depicting goldfish in round bowls.
Middle: A pair of three-coloured gold and enamel earrings, probably French, circa 1860, designed as coiled snakes supporting bunches of grapes.
Below: A pair of gold and enamel earrings, English, circa 1870, in the form of frogs amongst bulrushes in a triangular frame of twigs.
Right-hand column
Above: A pair of gold and tinted ivory earrings, English, circa 1860, designed as cascades of fuchsia blossom carved in tinted pink ivory.
Below: A pair of silver-gilt and turquoise earrings in the form of nesting birds pave-set with turquoises, the wire-work nests containing pearl eggs, French, 18.50-60.
FASHIONS OF THE 1870s
Above: Five designs for earrings from the archives of Mellerio, Paris. Their variety is a reflection of the eclecticism of contemporary jewellery design.
Noticeable, however, is the persistence of motifs of archaeological inspiration such
as the amphora-shaped drops, the cameo supporting a trophy of love and stylized papyri.
Opposite: Among the earrings of naturalistic inspiration fashionable in the I 870s, those designed as acorns found great favour throughout Europe. In Mellerio’s archive are two variations of the same design (below), while similar earrings with a matching pendant are advertised in a contemporary issue of the magazine La Femme et la Famille.
Right: Stylized papyri also form the surmount of this English gold and turquoise earring.
RETURN TO NATURE
During the i 86os women suspended all sorts of ornaments from their ears, from delicate and appealing bouquets of flowers to rather repulsive Brazilian beetles.
Far left: Two pairs of Italian gold earrings, i 86os. The upper pair, set with pearls, has rather disturbing hands supporting a basket of fruits. The lower pair consists of acorns on a two-oak-leaves surmount.
Left: A pair of gold and stained ivory earrings designed as cascading fuchsia blossoms, English, 18 6os.
Above: A pair of Brazilian beetle earrings, English, i 86os. The improved communication with South America prompted the introduction of unusual materials such as Brazilian beetles, whose hard, brilliant and iridescent green shell could be mounted as a gemstone.
EROS, AMPHORAE AND OIL LAMPS
Variations of amphora- and lamp-shaped earrings, circa 1870. Left: A mask of a Maenad supports an amphora carved in lava from Vesuvius, and a pair of gold, enamel and pearl earrings in the shape of oil lamps, by Carlo Giuliano, circa ‘865, modelled on lamps used for votive offerings. Below: a pair of gold earrings designed as amphorae suspended from fine chains; a gold ewer-shaped earring decorated with corded wire and granulation; and a seed pearl, gold and banded agate earring designed as an amphora on a disc surmount, by Carlo Giuliano, bearing the maker’s mark C.G. and the retailer’s mark HR for Hunt and Roskell of London
Eros, or Cupid, a recurrent figure in Hellenistic earrings, appeared frequently, involved in various activities, in earrings of the 18 6os and 18 70s. In two examples (above right) he is riding a gold dove decorated with corded wire and granulation simulating the plumage; the lower pair retains the original fitting, very close in design to the Antique prototype, while the upper is a later alteration.
In a pair of gold and enamel pendent earrings by Eugene Fontenay, circa 1870 (above), Eros is depicted carrying wine jugs on painted enamel plaques imitating Roman wall paintings, while in a pair of gold, seed pearl and enamel earrings by Carlo Giuliano, last quarter of the i 9th century (bottom right) he is playing the lyre and holding a mirror, on circular enamelled plaques.
Left andfar left: Two pairs of earrings set with cameos carved respectively in lava and banded agate, circa 1870.
RENAISSANCE REVIVAL
A pair of gold and polychrome earrings, by Carlo Giuliano, circa 1865, designed as a stork devouring a snake. The subject derives from a Renaissance emblem — the soul overcoming carnal pleasures — and the interest in the sculptural effect from Renaissance jewellery.
Above: A pair of gold and Roman mosaic earrings and matching brooch/pendant, the surmounts of the earrings depicting red, green and white scarabs supporting three elongated drops.
Left: A gold and Roman mosaic pendent earring, the circular surmount decorated with a dolphin and supporting an elaborate drop decorated with the figure of Cupid.
ROMAN AND FLORENTINE MOSAICS OF THE 1870s
Roman and Florentine mosaics, widely exploited in jewellery at the beginning of the i 9th century, came back in great favour in the late i 86os. Roman micromosaic technique was especially favoured, not only because it was suited to render motifs of archaeological
inspiration but also because its technique derived from Antiquity. This consisted in arranging minute coloured glass paste tessarae within hardstone, glass or gold borders.
Left: Gold earrings of archaeological design decorated with Roman mosaic plaques of winged putti, and a brooch/pendant showing a Raphael tondo.
Below left: A pair of Florentine mosaic earrings set with onyx and coloured stones. Florentine mosaic consisted of an inlay of differently coloured hard and semiprecious stones arranged in naturalistic patterns.
Below centre: A pair of gold and Roman mosaic half-hoop earrings in Egyptian revival style. Note the scarab, similar to the example illustrated on the opposite page.
Below right: A Roman mosaic earring of floral design.
SOUVENIR EARRINGS
Since the beginning of the century earrings and other jewels set with Roman mosaic plaques depicting architectural views of Rome or scenes from the Campagna had been popular souvenirs to take back home. Early i 9th-century earrings are characterized by a very simple and linear design. They usually consist of an oval surmount supporting a pear-shaped drop or an oval plaque connected by fine chains. The mosaics are of a high quality, consisting of very small tessarae where the colours are graduated in a very subtle manner giving the illusion of a miniature painting. A good example of this is the pair of earrings (left) set with four mosaic plaques of famous views of Rome including the Pyramid of Cestius and the Columns of Trajan and Antoninus.
Later examples of the 18 6os and 18 70S tend to be more elaborate in design, adapting shapes and decorations to contemporary trends. The quality of the mosaics though, is coarser, a consequence of the increased demand. The earrings and matching pendant (right) with mosaic plaques depicting peasant women of the Campagna in the typical ciociara costume are good examples of the time; their Roman origin is confirmed by the city’s gold hallmark. Note the ubiquitous Egyptian scarab motif on the surmount and the coarse tessarae.
Star motifs first appeared in the late i 86os as an inlaid central decorative motif of earrings set with large cabochon gemstones such as amethysts and carbuncles or enamel bosses as the example illustrated here in black enamel and half pearls (far left). Later six-, eight-, twelve-pointed stars, or more, became extremely popular, often accompanied by a matching pendant and set for instance, with pearls (left).
The popularity of knife-wire setting and the fashion for light and less symmetrical shapes prompted, in the late 18 8os and i 89os, the development of shooting stars and comets.
Opposite centre and far left below:
Numerous points alternate with weightless knife-wires set with diamonds. Left: A pear-shaped drop terminating with a graduated fringe. Above: Set of twelve-pointed star earrings and matching pendant set with pale opals.
Top right: Designs by Mellerio for two variations of star-shaped pendent earrings, part of a parure commissioned by Queen Isabella II of Spain.
INNOVATION AND TRADITION:
FRENCH EARRINGS OF THE 1870s AND 1880s
Two pages of earring designs in pencil and gouache of the late 1870s and early i 88os from the archives of Mellerio, Paris. They range from naturalistic floral creations to pendeloques and girandoles in the i Sth-century tradition, mainly set with pearls and diamonds, together with amusing arrows which appear to pierce the ear, in the style of novelty jewellery. The eclecticism of the sources of inspiration is especially evident on the right-hand page, where Classical archaeology with a typical Greek key pattern, naturalism with floral motifs, Persian and Northern African art with botch and crescent hoops co-exist.
Above: A collection of gold and gem-set earrings spanning the years from 1850 to the 1870s. Noticeable are the small compact earrings of the I 850s designed as clusters of foliate motifs or coiled ribbons; the long pointed drops of the 18 6os in archaeological revival style; the oval panels star-set with half pearls of the early I 87os, and the tiger’s claw earrings fringed by gold drops of the I 870s, brought back from India as souvenirs to commemorate hunting expeditions.
Left: A page of earring drawings from Cartier’s archive in Paris, dated from March 1874 to May 1874, illustrating some of the great number of shapes, both long and short, fashionable at the time.
FRINGED EARRINGS OF THE 1870s
One of the most distinctive forms of earring in the
18 70s consisted of a circular, oval or otherwise shaped panel variously decorated with enamel, gemstones or chased gold, supporting a graduated fringe of articulated pointed drops. The type was particularly fashionable in England where the favourite surmounts for the tagged drops were oval carbuncles (below), or enamel plaques star-set at the centre with various gemstones (opposite). Fringe or tassel earrings with matching pendants were popular throughout Europe as testified by the archival records of the German jeweller Kreuter dating from 1868 to 1872 (right). More unusual surmounts were occasionally exploited, such as the trapeze-shaped Wedgwood jasper-ware plaque (opposite lower right).
CASCADES OF FLOWERS
Among the plethora of 1870s earrings those designed as cascades of flowers, flowerhead clusters with pampille decorations or sprays of leaves and flowers were particularly favoured by a more conservative public.
Far left, top: A pencil and gouache drawing by Mellerio depicting a flower spray earring. It is interesting to note how the design includes the ear to show precisely how the earring should be positioned on it. Beneath it are two ink designs by Mellerio in the form of flowers with
cascading stamens.
Left: Two ink drawings by the German jeweller Kreuter of 1873, depicting earrings in the shape of cascades of flowerheads and leaves.
Lower left: A gold and turquoise demi-parure comprising a pair of fuchsia earrings and a matching pendant. Note the naturalistic rendering of the blossoms and the use of calibr~- cut turquoises. Though turquoise had been a popular stone for many decades it is only in the
i 870s that it began to be cut en calibre in order to fit the shape of the mount.
Opposite: English diamond-set examples belonging to the same type as those by Kreuter.
BEETLES AND BACCHUS
A gold and Brazilian beetle demi-parure comprising a necklace and a pair of pendent earrings of modified girandole design, probably English, circa 18 70. In this case a ‘novelty’ material — the Brazilian beetles — is combined with an overall archaeological design in a bizarre and unconventional way. The iridescent green beetles are turned into miniature tortoises by the addition of feet, head and tail in gold; on the earrings they are clustered in groups of four.
ARTISTRY OF LALIQUE
Right: A pair of opal, enamel and gold pendent earrings, by Rene Lalique, French, circa I goo, in their original case. The fluid line, the thistle motif, the choice of the opal as a gemstone and the opalescent enamel epitomizes Art Nouveau jewellery. Though earrings continued to be worn at this time, they were not a particularly prominent ornament so the large proportions of this pair of Lalique earrings are an exception rather than the rule. Even within Lalique’s unconventional and daring production of jewellery, they may be regarded as a rarity. The back view (bottom) shows the unusual clip fitting which anticipates the fashionable clips of the thirties.
Upper left: A collection of very simple and relatively small earrings typical of late i gth century and of the very beginning of the loth century. From left to right: A peridot and diamond cluster earring, the large peridot claw-set at the centre; a diamond earring simply claw set with a brilliant-cut stone; a carbuncle (cabochon almandine garnet) and rose diamond cluster earring, probably by Boucheron; a diamond earring designed as a circular cluster of table-cut stones.

First created by Cartier in 1952, the design was immediately copied and reinterpreted in many variations by most of the jewellers of the time.
Contemporary daywear fashions were dominated by the classic two-piece suit reintroduced by Chanel at the reopening of her atelier in 1954, and these yellow gold earrings suited them perfectly, as well as the stylish afternoon dresses then in vogue.
Earrings simply mounted with a single pearl, natural or cultured, often of large size without any form of decorative surmount, gained in popularity throughout the decade thanks to their adaptability to both day and evening dresses and to their discreet sheen which always flattered the features of the face without being as overpowering as diamonds. Cultured pearls came back into favour after a decade of neglect; and natural pearls, whose price had dropped dramatically in the 1920S when cultured pearls became widely available, were admired again and rose in value. As cheaper alternatives, large mabe pearls were favoured within gold and diamond borders.
Left and opposite: three pencil designs for gold and gem-set earrings,
by Mellerio, i 95os.
A pair of i 8ct molten gold, diamond and baroque pearl earclips bv Andrew Grima, 1968. The stylized flowerhead surmounts support detachable pendants.
The 1960s
In the 196os the marked distinction between very precious earrings set with diamonds for the evening and less expensive gold earrings for the day disappears. All types could be worn at all times provided that they were large and decorative. Their effect was achieved not necessarily by using materials of high intrinsic value, but by exploiting contrasts of texture and colour. A good example of this style is a pair of opal, emerald, sapphire and diamond pendent earrings mounted in yellow gold in 1966 by Andrew Grima, a particularly successful jeweller and designer who can be regarded as the trendsetter of the sixties style in Britain. His earrings are typical of the time in their abstract design and in their interplay of different textures, the rough gold mounts contrasting with the smooth and polished surface of the opals. Their vivid use of colour is also typical; the bright green emeralds, the intense blue sapphires and the bright multicoloured flashes of opals highlighted with diamonds and gold are particularly striking. It is not surprising that these eyecatching earrings won the 1966 Duke of Edinburgh Prize for Elegant Design, the first and only time that a piece of hand-made jewellery rather than an industrial product gained this prestigious award. The judges’ report stated that British jewellery designers ‘are now starting to win an international reputation for their imaginative work … There is a much less inhibited attitude to new techniques, such as melting under controlled temperatures and new ways of giving different textures to gold. These have given much greater scope to the designer and have released him from the rigid conventions of setting — and much credit for this liberation, and for the gaiety that has resulted, must go to Andrew Grima, the recipient of the 1966 prize.’
Similar qualities are to be found in Italian clips set with emeralds, sapphires and gold. The amoeba-like abstraction of their design once again combines contrasting elements: the large cabochon emerald with its smooth and polished surface in contrast with the textured gold mount, and the striking use of colour: green, blue and yellow. The emeralds and sapphires, although not of gem quality, have been exploited for their attractive colour, once again indicating how contemporary jewellers were often more interested in the decorative quality of the gemstones than in their intrinsic value.
The use of uncut gemstones and natural objects unworked by man was widespread at the time, and jewellers in most countries were eager to exploit such materials. Emphasis was placed on the contrast between faceted and uncut stones, such as agate geodes, aggregates of amethyst or dioptase crystals left in their natural form. In one
P 1771, pair of long pendent earrings, sapphires, diamonds and fragments of crystal dioptase
178 are combined with rough-textured gold-work reminiscent of entwined branches. Interest in unusual textures, striking colour combinations and relatively cheap materials prompted jewellers such as David Webb and Verdura in New York and Darde et Fils in Paris to make use of exotic and colourful sea shells for their earrings. The bold contours of the polymita pieta (Cuban tree snails) with brown, orange, yellow and white stripes applied with gold lozenges by David Webb (1964-65) or with gold saw-teeth by Darde et Fils show how such materials can be successfully used. All the examples reproduced here belonged to the Duchess of Windsor, who like other fashionable women of the mid-sixties did not disdain comparatively inexpensive ear-clips provided that they were unusual and decorative. All sorts of shells of differing shapes were adopted to both short and long earrings, as is illustrated by the extraordinary late sixties example by Grima, where an elongated tusk-shaped shell from the South Pacific is enclosed in a gold wire case and its natural curve exploited to echo the contour of the face.
Nature, transmuted in abstract and stylized forms, was the source of inspiration
for many ear ornaments: for example, the intricate form of sprawling roots is the
basis for gold mounts in the earclips designed by the American jeweller Arthur King,
where the central cultured pearl or smooth coral bead is held in a surround of textured
and entwined gold wire-work. In a similar way small gold batons soldered together,
framing the large sapphires in Grima’s 1968 earclips, are reminiscent of the twigs in
birds’ nests, while in a pair of decorative and exuberant earrings by Meister of Zur-
ich (designed in 19′71 but very much in the style of the i 96os) clusters of mimosa
blossom are juxtaposed with polished gold spheres and brilliant-cut diamonds. Ab-
stract forms and different textures, consistent features of 196os jewels and earrings,
were achieved by means of new techniques such as melting under controlled tempera-
tures. The results can be seen in the gold and coral earclips by Sterl6 where the gold
mount appears as ‘frozen’ molten metal, or in the jagged textured gold edges of Marit
Aschan’s earclips of 1966, reminiscent of butterflies dipped into turquoise enamel
encrusted with diamonds. One of those who has continued since the i 96os to achieve
P. 189 infinite variations of texture in gold is Gerda Flockinger. In a stunning combination
of interchangeable earrings of 1980, the inherent beauty of the molten gold is empha-
sized by minute grains and swirled encrustations where tiny diamonds sparkle at ran-
dom. Most of these innovative examples are one-off productions and reflect the
greater importance attached to creative design rather than intrinsic value; in fact, the
jewels in their settings are worth considerably more than their break-up value, which
indicates both that people are buying more for beauty of design than for investment A pair of gold, enamel and diamond star-shaped earclips with matching brooch, and a pair of gold, ruby and diamond earclips designed as flowerhead clusters, both by Boucheron, Paris, circa 1970.
and that the designer is achieving a personal status very different from the anonymity of his immediate predecessors. Examples produced in larger quantities and not as one-offs were manufactured for a more conventional clientele, and although not as daring as the designs by Grima, Sterl6 or Marit Aschan they display characteristic sixties elements. This is noticeable in the pair of stylized flowerhead earclips by Kutchinsky, where the theme, naturalistic this time and not abstract, is made vivid by bright and smooth green and blue enamel juxtaposed with the rough textured gold border.
Other fashionable earrings, especially for day wear, were inspired by objects, plants and animals that had not been associated with jewellery in previous decades. Some of them are distinctly light-hearted, such as the frog earclips in gold and bright green enamel with cabochon ruby eyes which David Webb presented to the Duchess of Windsor in 1964; or the pineapple earclips set with stripes of calibre-cut onyx and rubies designed in 1968 by Jean Schlumberger. Surrealist themes in jewellery had already been pioneered in the mid-fifties by artists such as Salvador Dall; the ‘Honeycomb Heart’ earclips of 1954 studded with circular-cut rubies and diamonds, and paired gold wing earclips signed ‘Dall’ in black enamel are good examples. But it is only in the sixties that one witnesses in jewellery a proliferation of such witty and amusing motifs. They represented a break with tradition and went hand-in-hand with the vogue for all that was fun, innovative and daring and they suited the fashion that replaced Dior’s sophisticated New Look and opulent but measured elegance with (alternative’ clothes — trousers and miniskirts — and required ‘alternative’ jewels to match. This new social and moral climate of the sixties found expression in such outward signs as the geometric and sculpted dress of Courreges or Paco Rabanne, the miniskirt of Mary Quant, the severe and short bob devised by Vidal Sassoon — and amusing unconventional earrings.
At the same time traditional examples of high intrinsic value continued to be produced. These were designed as diamond-set stylized flowerhead clusters supporting opulent cascades, but their jagged contours, achieved by alternating brilliant-cut and marquise-shaped diamonds held in minute white precious metal claws, differentiate them from the flowing and continuous lines set mainly with baguette diamonds of the previous decade.
The 1970s
After 197o earring design, like fashions in dress and hairstyle, seems to break free from all constraint and to become almost infinitely varied. The only common feature is largeness.
One of the most characteristic types of earring for day wear was a pendant designed as a large circular, oval or drop-shaped hoop held by a smaller surmount of similar design. These were mainly carved in hardstones including rock crystal, lapis lazuli, onyx, coral, tortoiseshell and ivory or rare woods like bois d’armourette, or they could be made of gold, often decorated with bright contrasting enamels such as blue with
P f84, yellow and red. The popularity of this hoop pattern was such that one finds it is
185 repeated both in designs and extant examples from all the major jewellery firms. Van Cleef & Arpels and Mauboussin were famous for their pear-shaped onyx hoops embellished with gold and diamond motifs suspended on variously shaped surmounts, such as the example illustrated on p. 184, where the elongated onyx hoop decorated with pave-set diamond motifs hangs from a leaf-shaped surmount of brilliant-cut diamonds. Often these earrings came with a long chain necklace — the most typical jewel of the seventies — formed of similarly designed links suspending a large pendant which repeated, in an enlarged form, the motif of the earring. Boucheron favoured an upside-down drop-shaped surmount with a similarly designed but larger drop in gold, lapis lazuli, tiger’s eye, or pink coral (e.g., model nos: 37640, 37632, 3763 1 and 37750 of 197o and 1971). The great popularity of the pendent hoop earring was also exploited by Mellerio, who did not limit himself to two hoops but designed examples with three, made of textured or corded gold linked together. Besides the repetition of the pendent hoop motif, another noticeable feature of most jewellers and above all of Boucheron’s production is the use of vivid and striking colour combinations, such as pink-green-gold, brown-pink, brown-green, turquoise-purple, light blue-black-gold and red-black-white. Hoop earrings were all made of gold or carved in hardstone; they were frequently decorated with pave-set diamond motifs but never with faceted coloured gemstones.
Hoop earrings were also widespread in the USA; David Webb in New York became celebrated for his large rock crystal and diamond drop earrings with pear-shaped hoops carved in rock crystal and embellished with diamonds. The design was devised one day when he happened to see a crystal chandelier being dismantled. His heart sank at the sight of such wonderful drops being wasted and he thought immediately of earrings. His design was so successful that these earrings continued to be produced well into the 1980s.
During the 1970s the most important jewellery houses such as Boucheron, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels were differentiating between unique creations set with exceptional gemstones made on commission and more readily available products at more affordable prices intended for a wider but still discriminating clientele. Many of the examples mentioned above were included in the ’boutique’ line of these jewellers and were meant for the fashion-conscious woman who was free to chose her own jewels according to taste and the colours of her clothes. The idea was to own several pairs of earrings of different colours which would be changed to suit various occasions.
The great popularity of the hoop-in-hoop motif meant that it was also adopted for evening wear. When that happened, a more precious version was produced, either
set entirely with diamonds (as the earrings by Gerard 1978-79, where the three P. s, hoops suspended from a cluster surmount are claw-set throughout with brilliant-cut diamonds) or with the hoops enlivened by coloured precious stones such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires alternately set with diamonds (as can be seen in some designs by Boucheron, nos: 37731 and 120971). Other precious examples for the evening P. Y8 repeated a similar outline of the hoop pendants but the hollow centre was filled with encrustations of exotic decorative motifs set with differently coloured gemstones. The inspiration of many of these earrings was Indian-, the red and green colours, as in the Boucheron example of 1978, suggest the combination of colours in Jaipur enamels; and the use of cabochon stones in flowerhead arrangements of gemstones is typical of Indian 18th- and 19th-century traditional jewellery. This source of inspiration is confirmed by some of the names given to designs of this period such as: Arabesque, Sultan, Nepal. It is not surprising that the Middle East and India inspired earring design, for many aspects of artistic, cultural and intellectual life in the 1970s were influenced by the East.
The short earring was often designed as a half-hoop or a hoop simply clamped to the earlobe with a clip fitting. Like pendants, they were made either of yellow gold, variously textured and worked, or set with coloured semiprecious hardstones embellished with diamonds. It is interesting to note that throughout the seventies the metal used for setting all gemstones including diamonds was yellow gold and not platinum or white gold; since the 18th century diamonds had almost invariably been set in white metal to increase the whiteness of the stones, and only in the I 97os did the jewellers switch to yellow gold. This probably has several explanations: firstly the influence of traditional Indian jewels where diamonds were set in gold; secondly a desire to break with tradition; and thirdly an attempt to make diamond, the gemstone par excellence, more wearable at any time of the day and give a more casual look to the most glamorous and evening-orientated gem; the warmth of the metal and its association with daytime jewellery made such adornments more wearable. Obviously there were disadvantages in using gold with diamonds, for example high colour, very white stones appearing of lower quality when reflecting the yellow gold mount. On the other hand diamonds known as Cape stones which possess a yellow tint look better in a yellow gold than in a white gold or platinum setting. The seventies fashion for large earrings, cabochon coloured gemstones and above all the use of gold as the sole metal for setting all gemstones, and especially diamonds, are features which continued to be popular in the following decade.
The 1980s
In the 19 8os earrings became so fashionable that they might be considered the jewel of the decade. Leading jewellers in Europe and the United States agree that by far the best selling jewels of the period were earrings. They were the favourite of the fashion-conscious woman, often being worn as the sole form of jewelled ornament. They were considered an indispensable fashion accessory to match and complement the style of an outfit, whether that of the executive woman in a tailored Armam suit by day or the extravagant and feminine woman in a Lacroix gown by night. This explains why women of the eighties owned numerous pairs of earrings and never felt that they had enough. Furthermore, earrings, unlike rings, have no sentimental implications, and can be bought, given as a gift or changed without a second thought. Demand stimulated supply — from mass-produced types marketed in large numbers to the most exclusive and one-off creations. But they all, short or long, followed a certain
P. 180, pattern: they had to be bold, flashy, large and colourful. Designs in this period are
181 extremely eclectic, but all short earrings are characterized by large, bold yet compact shapes, while pendant earrings may be distinguished by their large sculptural and three-dimensional drops which differ from the elongated linear hoops of the previous decade.
Among day earrings there was another archaeological revival, largely promoted
by Bulgari who since the mid-seventies had been mounting earrings with ancient
p. 186 coins. Greek, Roman and even I 7th- and i 8th-century coins, known as ‘gemme num-
marie’, numismatic gems, were set in sleek mounts of matt or shiny metals of differ-
ing colours. Striking effects were obtained by juxtaposing ancient, worn materials
with smooth and sleek modern mounts and by combining metals of contrasting
colours. An example is the combination of gold and silver in the 1982 gold earclips
set with a silver drachm of Demetrios I Soter, Syria (162-150 BC); platinum, gold
and electrum are placed next to one another in the 1984 clips set with two electrum
hecte struck in the island of Lesbos at Mytilene between 44o and 3 50 BC, held within concentric platinum and gold circles; and bronze or steel in combination with more precious materials became a distinctive feature of Bulgari and was employed in bold and innovative creations. Modernity is opposed to antiquity in the hoop earclips of 1980 designed as a graduated white gold band of flattened tubular linking set at the centre with two fanam yellow gold coins of the Dutch Indies 0 719-40). Although coins might seem rather uninteresting and repetitive to the layman, the variety of these earclips is astonishing: coins appear singly or in pairs, and the mounts display an unlimited variety of decorative patterns: reeded or corded wires, concentric sections, fluted elements and flattened tubular chains sometimes embellished with a few diamonds or cabochon coloured gemstones and small pearls. A compact circular form is common, since it is demanded by the shape of the coin, and a genuine archaeological concern has led to the mounts always being inscribed with the provenance and denomination of the coins.
Archaeologically inspired earrings were not limited to Italy: the Greek jeweller Ilias Lalaounis had been designing such jewels since the late 19 5os but his earrings gained popularity in the eighties, with their large size and decorative bold shapes. His designs have since been copied and reinterpreted by many other jewellers in Greece and throughout Europe.
Lalaounis’ earrings are inspired by the work of ancient Greek and Byzantine goldsmiths. Sometimes they are outstanding for their closeness to original ancient examples, while at others they are pastiches of Classical and Hellenistic themes, such as lions’ or rams’ heads, reminiscent of Greek late Classical earrings. All are in matt 22-carat gold, attempting to match the colour and texture of ancient examples. Reminiscent of Byzantine jewels are domed discs with granulation motifs encrusted with deep green emeralds and red rubies combined with pearls.
The fact that women want to own many pairs of earrings to suit different occasions has prompted the creation of large numbers made of relatively cheap materials which are nevertheless very attractive and eyecatching. Marina B in the 198os had mastered this art by setting her highly innovative and decorative earrings with semiprecious stones of various colours combined with small diamonds, yellow gold, black burnished gold and black metal. In all this variety of materials and shapes (hearts, tassels, drops, hoops) the unifying element is the striking way in which colours are combined with the sculptural, three-dimensional form of both the surmounts and the drops. For example the Cimin model of 1987 inspired by a Chinese lantern is in burnished black gold set with six blue topazes, yellow citrines, and amethysts, two pink tourmalines and diamonds. Among the most successful creations of Marina B is the Pneus earring, first designed in 1980, characterized by a squat circular pendant inspired by the pneumatic tyre of an aeroplane — hence the name. In this type the circular drop, carved in semiprecious gemstones, can be changed for similar drops of differently coloured stones such as pink tourmaline, rock crystal or blue topaz in Pendent earrings with wide and voluminous drops and compact clips in the form of large discs or fat crescents in many variations remained in favour throughout the decade both in Europe and in the United States. Bulgari’s output is still dominated by
P. 183 large earclips such as those set with a pink sapphire flowerhead with emerald leaves at the centre of a cushion-shaped panel decorated with baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds; other motifs include open hearts set with sugar-loaf cabochons of precious stones of various cuts such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds. A common characteristic of these colourful earrings is the imaginative and varied cuts of the gemstones which are shaped in order to fit the design: e.g. , the tassel or baton-shaped
P. 181 quartzes of the 1984 Najwa earring by Marina B.
The typical fitting of these earrings is a combination of clip and stud. From the late seventies ear-piercing regained popularity, losing its negative connotations, mainly because earrings fixed through the lobe are much more secure. Safety and comfort are priorities when earrings are heavy. Some eighties earrings weigh up to 4o grams, and the weight, especially in large pendent earrings, is alleviated both by the spread of the surmount and by the additional clip fitting which enables it to be distributed over a larger surface. The combined clip-stud fitting also had the great advantage of being easily adaptable to the unpierced ear by sawing off the prong of the stud.
p. 182 As ‘flash’ is the essence of earrings of the eighties, in examples where coloured gemstones were not used, large surfaces of polished or hammered gold with diamonds were favoured, such as the large disc-shaped earclips retailed by Harry Winston, the bold crescents of the Ecumes by Marina B and the double twisted hoops by Repossi, all mounted in yellow gold pave- or collet-set with diamonds. The glamour
P. 180, of gold, its richness of colour and its reflective quality were exploited also by Paloma
189 Picasso and Elsa Peretti. Both designing for Tiffany, they created earrings of very simple but bold shapes cast in gold. The glamorous effect of their stylized leaf, bean, cross, dome and hoop earrings is achieved by curving the polished gold surface and allowing it to reflect light in different ways. These earrings suited the taste of the emancipated woman of the eighties by combining feminine allure with the masculine look, gold and diamonds with cotton T-shirts and jeans.
The past decade has also witnessed an increase in the production of most lavish and expensive earrings set with exceptionally rare stones. In these cases the shapes tend to be fairly traditional, with the emphasis on the size and shape of the gemstone rather than the design.
The name of Harry Winston in New York has been traditionally associated with
this lavish production. Among his most successful works are informal diamond clus-
ter earclips, set with marquise and pear-shaped stones. The design was first created in
the sixties but it has continued to be favoured until the present day, becoming a trade
P. 191 mark of the firm. A pair of the most recent cluster earclips by Harry Winston, made
in 1989, is set with a total of 26 stones weighing 5 1.22 carats, remarkable not only
for the weight but the quality of the stones which are all D (I.e., pure white) flawless.
A pair of pearl and diamond pendent earrings by Cartier, London, 1928. This example is typical of the late 1920S for the slightly flared drop, differing from
slim and elongated drops and the earlier
for the use of white gemstones only. Their exceptional length, 9 cms, is another typical feature of earrings of the time, me, which often grazed the shoulders.
This example may be distinguished from earlier clusters by its richer and more compact contour.
Cluster earclips are also used as surmounts to suspend detachable drops set with large gemstones such as emeralds, sapphires or diamonds. An exceptional example is the Harry Winston cluster tops with D flawless pear-shaped drops weighing 34.80 and 37.12 carats respectively. Large pear-shaped ruby earrings are never found because gem quality rubies are extremely rare and can hardly be matched. Lavish ruby earrings are always set with clusters of smaller stones, such as those set in hoop earrings by David Webb.
The increasing quest for the perfect stone has meant that most high-quality gemstones set in important earrings are now accompanied by certificates from internationally recognized gemmological laboratories. The origin of coloured gemstones is stated, Columbia is prized for emeralds and Kashmir for sapphires; diamond certificates state the colour of the stone, with pure white (D) being the most sought after, and clarity is defined as the absence of internal impurities visible under ten-fold magnification. In recent years there has been growing interest in naturally coloured diamonds, blue, pink and yellow, and once again Harry Winston has been in the forefront. An example of ‘fancy’ coloured diamonds are those set with a yellow emerald-cut diamond in a border of six pear-shaped stones.
As the object of these earrings is to show off the stones, the mounts have a purely functional role with minimal impact of their own. This explains why the stones are held by minute claws which, in the case of high colour diamonds, are always in white metal. The result differs from the style of contemporary decorative earrings, where larger stones are nearly always collet-set in gold.
The rarity and value of these earrings derives both from the quality of the gemstones and the difficulty of matching them in perfect pairs, especially when one considers how many tons of diamond ore have to be sifted to find just i carat of gem quality diamond.
In the i 99os earrings show no sign of falling in popularity. Indeed their variety, splendour and ingenuity of design seem likely to rival any decade of the past. Costume jewellery, the demi-monde of the fashion world, has attained respectability and examples of it are often almost as expensive as the precious items they imitate or parody. The outrageous has become the commonplace, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish high from high-street fashion. An art form that has been flourishing for at least four thousand years is as alive as it ever was, as exciting, as beautiful.

The Exotic: the 1860s and 1870s
In the 18 6os hair went up again and earrings returned to favour. Their comeback was marked by a great variety of types and styles. Size fluctuated throughout the period, but grew to enormous proportions in the late i 86os and early 18’70s, when earrings almost rested on the shoulder. This fashion, although started in France and England, spread throughout Europe, and we also learn from an article in the trade-paper Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith of 187 5 that: ‘long pendent earrings are coming into fashion again in America.’
It was the great age of novelty. Women suspended from their ears any unusual and bizarre object they could think of. Among the favourite shapes for earring pendants
were windmills, buckets, shovels, hammers, hens brooding in baskets, and hum P. 78 ming birds. Even exotic creatures such as Brazilian beetles were suspended from ears
in the place of gemstones. Goldfish swimming in bowls were simulated by tinted in P 03 taglios. The Chinese-inspired ‘willow pattern’ is seen on many plate-shape gold earrings from 1870, enamelled in blue and white with the traditional pagoda, willow tree and figures on a bridge. Arrow earrings also appear to have been in great favour, P 79 either simply attached to the earlobe or designed in two sections so as to appear to transfix it.
Earrings of these types were not products of ‘haute joaillerie’ and not intended to be particularly artistic-, they were meant to be amusing and decorative, ‘novelty’jewellery to be worn for a season and then discarded. This explains firstly why they are always of little intrinsic value, being made of thin gold leaf decorated with enamel rather than gemstones, and secondly why few of them survive. They were certainly not the type of jewel to pass down in the family as an heirloom.
Interest in travel and advances in scientific knowledge together with the development of new industrial techniques, all affected the design of earrings around the middle of the century. New materials such as ‘Blue John’ or Derbyshire spar, lava from Vesuvius, colourful feathers of hummingbirds from Mexico, and beetles from Brazil, whose hard and green iridescent shell proved a successful and unusual sub-
stitute for gemstones, all made their appearance. The beetles were either simply at P. 107 tached to a gold hook to be inserted through the pierced earlobe or grouped more 126 elaborately in girandole arrangements. There were also exotic flowers, such as cas- P. roe
cades of stained ivory fuchsia blossoms; bunches of bulrushes set with turquoises baskets of flowers held by a hand, and acorns. The popularity of the latter is demon-
1o6 strated by its appearance among the drawings of Mellerio and by the firm’s ad-
vertisement in the magazine La Femme et la Famille et le Journal des Jeunes Personnel. p. 102, Animals were also favourite subjects; among the most amusing are frogs ready to
103 spring from bulrushes, nesting birds, brooding hens and coiled serpents entwined
with a vine spray. Hammers, ladders and well-pulleys with buckets reflect an interest P. 78 in industry. Although the fashion for novelty earrings appears to have started in
France, it assumed its most bizarre forms in England.
Classical revival
Another leitmotiv of i 9th-century jewellery is revivalism, a means of enriching the present by looking at the past. This had developed in the I 830S when designers such as Pugin in England and soon after Froment Meurice in France turned to Gothic art as a source of inspiration. Few examples of earrings in Gothic style are known, and those are usually made from Berlin iron, a material particularly well suited to reproducing Gothic tracery. The full bloom of revivalism occurs in the 18 6os and I 870s and this is particularly true of jewellery. The styles to be revived were mainly pre-Classical and Classical, Italian and French Renaissance and the period of Louis XVI.
Contemporary archaeological discoveries in Etruria and in the Greek Islands such as Knossos, Melos and Rhodes were bringing to light large quantities of exceptional ancient jewellery. The importance and popularity of earrings in antiquity was in some ways comparable to the 18 6os and 18 70s- It was natural, therefore, that antique shapes, designs and techniques were copied or reinterpreted in this period.
Among the leaders in this style were the Castellanis in Rome and Naples; they not only copied and reinterpreted the examples of the past but also set antique fragments such as engraved gemstones and coins as part of their interpretation of ancient jewellery. This is particularly evident in works like the gold and cornelian earrings set with Roman intaglios depicting a trophy of arms and a hunting scene.
P 97 Ernesto Pierret was another famous jeweller in Rome who produced earrings of Etrusco-Roman inspiration. A good example is the pair designed as a triangular panel decorated with bead-work and corded wire typical of Greek and Etruscan goldsmithwork flanked by baton motifs with spherical drop terminals probably inspired by the Roman crotalia which Pliny describes as ornaments designed to tinkle at every movement. This was a favourite motif for earrings and many examples survive where the baton-shaped drops are combined with various surmounts such as the Athenian owl with spread wings perched on a pediment.
The taste for Classical designs was widespread throughout Europe. Similar examples were produced by firms such as Robert Phillips in England and Eugene Fonte-
P 109 nay in France. Fontenay made great use of bead-work and corded wire in the mounts of his earrings, which were frequently set with carvings or enamel miniatures of scenes from Pompeian frescoes and had fringed drops and palmette or rosette surmounts.
Gold and pearl earring in archaeological revival style, circa 1870, inspired by the ancient Roman `crotalia’.
This archaeological fad was such that as early as 18 59 it became the target of satirical sketches. In ‘A Young Lady on the High Classical School of Ornament’, Punch (15 July 1859) depicted a devotee of the Antique style with an excess of jewels, tiara, hair ornaments, necklaces, bracelets, pendants and long earrings, all of Greek and Etruscan inspiration.
Some revivalist earrings derive specifically from well known antique prototypes while others are merely pastiches of different archaeological motifs. A good example
of the first type is the Etruscan a baule earring of 6th/5th century BC pedigree, which p. io, reappears, almost identical, in the late i 86os. It has one closed side, with a decoration of applied stylized flowerheads, rosettes and wirework typical of ancient examples. The enamel decoration is undoubtedly prompted by close examination of ancient a baule earrings, where inlays of glass paste, which unfortunately have barely survived, were used to enliven the decoration. This represents an attempt by the 19th-century jeweller to reproduce in its entirety the ancient prototype and stresses the past importance of polychrome work.
Subjects such as rams’ heads, miniature Eros figures riding birds, amphorae of p. 99, various shapes and blackamoors’ heads popular in late Classical Greek, Hellenistic and Etruscan earrings were revived in abundance. Not only were the forms derived from Antiquity but also the techniques: granulation was largely used — although never reaching the finesse of Antiquity — with wirework and beading to pick out details, and, as in the past, enamels were preferred to gemstones.
Other popular shapes of Antiquity which had never been related to ear ornaments were now converted into earrings, e.g., Carlo Giuliano’s miniature oil lamps decorated with black enamel, modelled on lamps used for votive offerings in temples and sanctuary precincts.
Even 19th-century ‘novelty’ materials such as lava from Vesuvius, Wedgwood jasper-ware and tortoiseshell were adapted to earrings inspired by the Antique. Somehow the frilliness typical of the 19th century creeps through the severe and linear shapes of archaeological Classicism, so that they could never be mistaken for
the real thing. This is particularly true of two pairs of earrings where Roman gold p. 98 low-relief and Greek amphorae are suspended from circular surmounts decorated with frivolous 19th-century flower motifs.
The typical fitting of all these earrings is a thin S-shaped gold hook inserted in the ear from front to back, at times secured, like many ancient examples, by an additional semicircular catch at the back.
Notable as a successful reinterpretation of Classical ideals is the emerald and diamond parure commissioned by Napoleon III from Mellerio; although its overall design is definitely archaeological, its pendent earrings of sober, sculptural shape p. 8o have no strict connection with any ancient prototype.
Besides Greek, Roman and Etruscan art, Egypt provided an important source of inspiration, not only in terms of shapes and designs but also of colour choice and com-bination. Interest in ancient Egypt was stimulated by the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 and by the contemporary excavations in the Nile Valley carried out and
P 96, published by Auguste Marlette. Falcons, papyri, mosaic or gold Pharaoh masks and
113 scarabs were soon fashionable motifs to adorn the ears, and dramatic combinations of bright colours such as lapis or turquoise blue, deep red and opaque white typical of Egyptian art gained favour throughout Europe.
Renaissance and 18th-century revival
The Renaissance revival, with its interest in sculptural and figurative shapes and enamel-work, began in the 1840s in France but did not affect earrings until the 18 6os and 18 70s. Among the influential jewellers working in this style was Carlo Giuliano, an Italian who spent most of his working life in England. Among his most
P. striking works is a pair of earrings in gold and polychrome enamel, opaque and translucent, each in the form of a stork devouring a serpent. In this case not only does the enamel technique and the bold sculptural shape remind us of the famous Renaissance figurative pendants, but the symbolism too is Renaissance; the stork devouring a snake standing for the soul overcoming carnal pleasure derives from a well known Renaissance emblem.
Fantastic creatures such as dragons and griffins with pronounced sculptural quality and the widespread use of polychrome enamels were typical of the French Renaissance revival. What gives away the fact that these belong to the 19th and not the 16th century is their passion for ornate and frilly detail, which always tends to creep in and
P. detract from the boldness of the sculptural effect. This is particularly evident in the
fringe of pearls and rosette surmount of the griffin earrings reproduced.
P 79 The gold, polychrome enamel and hardstone cameo earrings, each set with a cameo mask holding a floral festoon suspended from a tree-headed mask surmount, which the London jeweller John Brogden exhibited at the Paris Universal Exhibition oft867, although imbued with a certain Renaissance feeling, are closer to late i 8th-century Neoclassicism. The choice of differently coloured agate for the two cameos of Classical Dionysus masks is a rather unusual feature for the period. It is interesting that in this case both the original design and the finished jewels survive.
P. 74, In France, among other revivals, that of the Louis XVI style was particularly
77 favoured by the Empress Eug6me who, anxious to emulate Marie Antoinette in establishing in France a ‘grand’ monarchic tradition, revived, together with the crinoline, all the girandoles, bows and ribbon motifs of French 18th-century jewellery. She commissioned J. -E. Bapst, the famous French jeweller, to remount part of the crown jewels in Louis XVI style. The great majority of pendeloque and girandole earrings revived at this time in France were set with pearls and diamonds, but Eugenie’s favourite stone was the emerald, and it quickly became the most popular coloured gemstone in France.
Fin de sihle
As a consequence of the opening up of Japan to trade with Europe in the 18 5os and of the revolution there in 1866, Japanese art, until then little known in the West, started to exert considerable influence on the evolution of ornament and decoration. In the mid- i 870s it became popular in Europe to mount small pieces of Japanese metalwork as jewellery. Shakudo and shibuichi, the metal inlay techniques developed by Samurai swordmakers for the decoration of sword mounts and guards, entered the world of jewellery. Shibuichi and shakudo plaques and miniature fans decorated with flowers, butterflies, insects, birds and bamboo provided with a small suspension hook became very fashionable earrings and the Europeans soon began to imitate them in chased gold and silver. A good example is the pair of pendent earrings in the shape of a rectangular plaque decorated with fan-shaped motifs.
The increasing ease of travel in Europe encouraged interest in foreign countries and people liked to bring home souvenirs of the localities they visited. Italy with its sights and monuments was amongst the favourite destinations. Souvenir earrings are usually made of materials which are typical of a certain location: Roman mosaics, or micromosaic, made of minute glass tesserae depicting sights of Rome or scenes from the Campagna, and Florentine mosaic made of larger pieces of variously coloured inlaid semiprecious hardstone, usually in floral patterns, were extremely popular. Roman and Florentine mosaics had in fact been used in jewellery since the early i 800s; the earliest form of mosaic earrings consisted of a simple oval plaque connected to a smaller panel surmount with fine gold chains. Later examples dating from the i 86os and 187os are much more varied in shape and often reminiscent of archaeological revival designs. Early examples of Roman mosaic earrings have almost unbelievably tiny glass tesserae, producing a precision of detail which matches that of painting. Later examples are much coarser.
Among the plethora of 18 6os and 18 7os earrings another type can be clearly distinguished, known as the ‘fringe’ earring. This usually consists of a circular or oval surmount above a fringe of articulated pointed drops. It was popular throughout Europe but especially fashionable in England around 1870 where the drops tight-
Three earring designs in pencil and gouache of the late i 870s, from the archives of Mellerio, Paris. Note the fringe ornament typical of the time.
ened up to form a compact fringe of tapered gold chains in contrast to their Continental counterparts where the pendent elements are frequently fewer and well spaced. The distinction is clear if one compares the French designs illustrated in Mellerio’s archives with English examples set with carbuncles, Wedgwood jasperware plaques
P. 123 or decorated with white and royal blue or turquoise coloured enamel. The inset of small pearls or diamonds in a starshaped motif at the centre of the gemstone or enamelled boss surmount is another typical feature of jewellery of the time. Archaeological influence is frequently noticeable on the surmounts of these earrings. Most examples are fairly voluminous and long, measuring approximately 6 to io cms; in spite of this, their weight is negligible since the fringes that constitute a large portion
p. i 1 of the earring are made of hollow gold drops or of light gold chain. More expensive examples of diamond-set fringe earrings, though less common, are well known.
Naturalism in jewellery reached its peak in this period under the spell of the Parisian Oscar Massin, whose naturalistic and botanically accurate creations characterized by tremblant and pampille decoration became a model for jewellers throughout Europe. Cascades of flowerheads, sprays of leaves and flowers and single flowerhead
P. 124, clusters were to be seen on grand occasions. The designs by Mellerio and by the Ger-
125 man Frederick Kreuter reproduced here illustrate the variety of forms fashionable at the time.
The star motif had been popular in jewellery since the 18 6os. At first its design was exploited mainly for brooches, and only in the late 18 6os was it introduced into earring design. Typical of this date are earrings mounted with large carbuncles, amethyst cabochons or enamelled gold bosses inlaid at the centre with a pearl or diamond
p. 116, star-shaped motif. In other examples the whole earring takes on the shape of a star
117 suspended by a simple hook from the ear. The basic six-pointed star offered scope for many variations: the points could multiply up to eighteen, of different lengths and widths. In the late 18 8os and 189os knife-wire settings came into favour and this, together with a taste for light and less symmetrical shapes, prompted the creation of elaborate earrings in the form of off-centre stars, comets and shooting stars. The favourite gemstones for this type of ornament were diamonds since they could best suggest real stars; less expensive versions were set with half pearls and very pale opals. Many sets were made in this style, comprising earrings, a brooch, and a necklace which could also be worn as a tiara; a design by Mellerio commissioned by Queen Isabella II of Spain is a good example.
Towards the end of the century the fashion for large and varied earrings subsided in favour of smaller and more sober ear ornaments, either clusters or single gemstones, simply claw- or collet-set in very unobtrusive, delicate mounts provided at the back with a flattened hoop fitting. The fashionable design for daywear in the 18 gos consisted simply of a single pearl embellished with small diamonds. At night the favourite earring would be a single diamond of varying size. The change towards smaller earrings was this time dictated not so much by hairstyles, since the ears were
Four ink designs for pendent earrings by Kreuter, Germany, 1867-70. The top one is star shaped; the second and fourth decorated with star and fringe motifs; and the third with a fringe only.
A collection of North Italian gold
pendent earrings, circa i 800. Their large size, linearity and two-dimensional, geometrical quality are typical of early t9th-century earrings in Europe. Many include a central plaque in relief stamped out of a thin sheet of gold, to simulate a cameo with a profile of a Classical warrior, a type of imagery which had become popular at the time of the Napoleonic campaign in Northern Italy Of 1796-97. Note the contrast between the austere profiles and the delicate lace-like filigree border decorated with typical hollow hemispherical motifs.
still left uncovered, as by the fashion for high frilled collars during the day and for the ‘collier de Chien’, or dog collar, at night, both of which dressed the neck and filled in the space between ears and shoulders. Long pendent earrings which visually interfered with high collars and neck ornaments disappeared almost completely. The few pendent earrings of the 189os were of moderate size, in the shape of very delicate pearl and diamond articulated drops which moved and reflected light.
The discovery of the Cape diamond mines in South Africa brought a plentiful supply of fine stones onto the market. A single, large, flawless, white diamond of high quality was now usually preferred to a fussy arrangement of small stones. The new abundance of diamonds also led to new ways of cutting: cushion-shaped diamonds, fat and bulky in order to retain the maximum carat weight of precious material, became thinner and circular in shape, with the culet or back facet reduced to a pin-point, thus exploiting to the maximum the exceptional optical quality of diamonds to reflect and disperse light. The new brilliant cut involved a waste of up to 5o% of the rough crystal but the final result was thought to be worth it.
Apart from diamonds, a variety of other stones were set in cluster earrings; often a larger coloured stone would be mounted within a border of smaller diamonds. Black Australian opals, together with pale and metallic sapphires from Montana, appeared on the market in the 189os; amethysts and peridots were great favourites and with their purple and lime green colours well complemented the pastel tints of contemporary dresses. In the 189os pearls and half-pearls were the preferred alternative to the more expensive diamond borders and with their delicate sheen particularly suited the soft silks in fashion during the last decade of the century.
The Art Nouveau movement, which reacted against the repetitiveness and lack of imagination in the decorative arts and jewellery and challenged the excessive emphasis placed on intrinsic value, promoted many new, original and daring designs — but not for earrings. There are hardly any Art Nouveau earrings, and the few that survive must be considered exceptions. An extraordinary pair created by Rene Lalique is definitely a ‘one off’. They are typical in their choice of less expensive materials (large milky opals, translucent enamels echoing the colour of the opals, richly coloured matt gold) and in the flowing line of the decorative thistle motif rendered in enamel at the front and engraved at the back. But they are unique in their unconventionally large size and their detachable clip fitting, a feature which became normal only in the I 930s. It is possible that such clip fittings were devised to allow the earrings to be worn as necklace pendants.

Candelabra – table candlesticks with branches for extra lights – began to be made from c.1660 and increased in popularity, throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. A candelabrum consists of a central shaft with two or more detachable scroll branches supporting candle sockets; sometimes there is also a socket at the top of the shaft. Made in similar styles to candlesticks and by the scone makers, candelabra were likewise generally produced in pairs. Most found today, are in good condition, because they were better made and much more expensive than candlesticks and therefore were not subjected to the same amount of wear or damage.
THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY Silver Candelabra
Although examples are known from the late 17th century, few candelabra dating from before the 1770, survive today. Until the late 18th century most had two branches, but matching branches and stems were not particularly popular or fashionable until c.1750. As on candlesticks, detachable nozzles for the sockets appeared c.1740. To be of value to collectors, a candelabrum should have all its separate parts – the branches, the nozzle, and the stem – in the same style and hearing the same maker’s marks. Before -.1750 branches were often considered awkward and so were discarded and the stem used as a candlestick.
French silversmiths createdd some of the finest Rococo candelabra in the early and mid-18th century. One of the most famous examples is a single three-hranched candelabrum designed in 1734-5 by juste-Aarele Meissonnier (1695-1750), Royal Goldsmith to King Louis XV of France, and executed by Claude DLIVivicr (1688-1747) for the English Duke of Kingston. It has an extraordinary, asymmetrical, spiralling stem with three richly sculpted branches ending in flower-shaped sockets, and a cast finial in the form of a cluster of leaves, which can be removedto hold a fourth candle. Such pieces fully exploit the plastic, sculptural qualities of cast sib, er, and had a particular influence in England, where elaborate Rococo candelabra were made by such leading silversmiths as George Wickes ( 1698-11-61) and Paul de Lamerie (1688-1751) in the 1740s and 1750x. All such pieces are exceptionally rare and valuable today and fetch high prices on the market.
THE LATER 18TH CENTURY Silver Candelabra
In the early 18th century the hour for dining was generally about 3p.m., but lit the latter part of the century it was put back and the main meal of the day was often eaten after dark. For this reason, more light was needed, and so candelabra from the 1770s onward usually have at least three branches. Elegant and light Neo-classical forms, with fluted or plain tapering baluster stems, simple, slender branches, and urn-shaped sockets, all decorated with beading and reeding, were especially popular. Such designs were produced in cast and loaded sheet silver and Sheffield plate; some candelabra have silver stems but Sheffield plate branches, perhaps to reduce the cost. Similarly, candelabra made entirely in Sheffield plate often had a matching set of more expensive silver candlesticks.
THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY Silver Candelabra
Massive, heavy silver-gilt candelabra are characteristic of the Regency period. Made largely to impress, these often form part of elaborate table centrepieces. Magnificent candelabra were made by the leading English goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell (est. 1805) and by Paul Story (1771-1844) for the Prince of NXiale, (later King George IV) and his circle. Such pieces – such as one made by Edward Farrell in I824 – have five or more branches, sometimes with double sockets, and stems lit the form of caryatids or mythological figures. Earlier candelabra were often altered to suit new tastes: a pair of candlesticks ordered by the Earl of Carlisle from the firm Parker & Wakelin (est. -.1758) in 1770 was supplemented with double branches in 1780 and triple branches in 1826.
THE LATER 19TH CENTURY Silver Candelabra
Most candelabra made in the later 19th century are of loaded sheet silver or plate, and many have figures supporting the candle sockets or as decoration on the base. After the introduction of oil lighting, some candelabra were converted to oil lamps. in the second half of the 19th century a huge range of items, including candelabra, was produced using the new method of electroplating. Following the invention of the electric battery in the early 19th century, an English doctor named John Wright experimented with electrolysis to coat the surface of base-metal objects with precious metal. In 1840 the Birmingham firm of Elkington & Co. (est. c.1830), in partnership with Wright, took out the first patent for this new process. Known as “electroplating”, it involved the immersion into a plating bath of a nickel object attached to a positive anode and a block of pure silver attached to a negative anode. When the electric current was switched on, silver particles passed through the solution and were deposited on the nickel object; the same process could be used both for gilding and for replacing worn objects.
The introduction of electroplating led quickly to the decline of the Sheffield-plate industry. The new process was far safer than the old one, but its main advantage was that it enabled objects to be formed entirely by traditional silversmithing methods before being plated, making complex sculptural ornament possible. By comparison,handles and borders made in Sheffield plate had to be silver. Condition Is important stamped out from sheet silver, filled with lead, and applied.
Elkington & Co. and the marm, other electroplate manufacturers established in the 1850s and 1860s produced a huge range of electroplated items, from chargers, ewers, and centrepieces richly decorated with valuable ornament in various historical styles to cutlery, frames, and spoon-warmers. Elkington employed the French sculptor Leonard Morel-l.aclertil ( 1820— ) to design splendid Renaissance-style pieces for display at international exhibitions. The firm also used the process of electrotyping - taking a mould front an object and depositing onto it a thin layer of silver, backed with base metal - to produce facsimile copies of a number of historically important pieces of silverware, in particular a collection of Tudor and Jacobean silver held in the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow.
Since such large quantities of electroplate still exist, it is important to buy pieces in the very best condition. Electroplate can usually be distinguished from Sheffield plate by the harsher colour of the pure silver (the sterling standard was used in Sheffield plate) and the lack of visible series, and joins, which are hidden by the layer of deposited silver.