These delicate drop-shaped 18k gold earrings are completely open-worked and built up from delicate roundels of cannetille, in a technique known as filigree.
Filigree is a delicate, ornamental metalwork technique that uses twisted, curled, or interlaced threads of fine gold to create intricate patterns. These fine wires are carefully bent into scrolls and soldered together, often leaving space for a beautifully open, airy design.
This design is heavily influenced by ancient Etruscan jewellery. The discovery of several Etruscan tombs in the 1860s, which uncovered beautifully made filigree jewels, created a craze for neo-Etruscan fashion. Etruscan influences can therefore be found in lots of Victorian jewels.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 32 mm long: the drops measure 25 x 14 x 14 mm.
Weight: combined 4.85 grams
Age: 19th Century, also known as the Victorian era, circa 1860s.
Material: The drops have been hallmarked with antique hallmarks that cannot be read anymore, and French import hallmarks for 18k gold; the hooks have been hallmarked with French eagle head hallmarks for 18k gold.
Condition: In good antique condition with minor signs of wear, consistent with their age. I believe that the hooks were replaced at some point in the past and did not originally come with these drops.
Please note that the antique box is for display purposes. This shop is based in the EU. Although antiques are exempt from taxes in most countries, buyers from outside the EU might be subject to import duties.