Antique Vintage Deco Gold Sterling Silver Chinese Amethyst Enamel Drop Earrings

  
Age Circa : Art Deco C. Gram Weight : 9.3 Grams.

Main Stone Measurements/Color : 0.5" long by 0.2" wide, semi-translucent deep purple. The stones appear to be untreated, but we are not certified gemologists and cannot be sure. Stone Cuts : Hand carved teardrops. Item Measurements : The earrings have a total drop of 1.75" and taper from 0.2" to 0.8 wide.

Earring Backing Style : Push back. Your local jeweler can easily convert these to the preferred backing style you desire. For Pierced or Non-Pierced Ears : Pierced. Notable Features : These lovely gold washed sterling silver drop earrings were completely handmade by a talented Chinese silversmith during the Art Deco era.

These gorgeous earrings feature a stunning, hand carved amethyst that hangs like a pendulum inside the open center of the teardrop shape of the earrings. The amethysts are a high grade, semi-translucent deep purple color and seem to glow in the light. Pretty hand wound, gold washed filigree petals encapsulate the tips of the amethysts and attache them to an open rosette at the apex of the teardrop frame. Decorating the frames are gorgeous swirled leaf shapes, expertly enameled in green and royal blue. There are three little flowers along the frames, with gorgeous lavender enamel filling the petals, and tiny gold washed granulated beads at the centers. The teardrop frames are identically decorated on both sides, so these earrings are beautiful no matter if they are viewed from the front, or from behind. The teardrop frames dangle from an enameled bead, whose royal blue coloring is sensationally contrasted by gold washed rope twist accents that are shaped like flower petals, and cup the surface of the bead from the top and bottom. This bead, in turn, dangles from the gold washed sterling silver push back posts, with a pretty granulated bead that brings unity to the whole piece. Breathtakingly beautiful and masterfully crafted, these earrings would make a wonderful gift for a loved one. These earrings are missing their butterfly backings, but you can easily acquire backings of your choosing through your local jeweler, or at your nearest department store. There is some slight wear on one enamel portion on the back of one earring, but this is not visible when the earrings are worn. This beautiful piece comes from the Art Deco era! The Art Deco era is famous for being the "Gatsby" or "Roaring Twenties" era. A lot of gorgeous and timeless designs in jewelry came out of this period. During the Art Deco period jewelers often made jewelry upon custom order, this would often take weeks to months to completely craft by hand. Chinese export jewelry became popular during the late Victorian period and persisted until the 1960s. During this period, Chinese craftsmen were considered by far the best in the world. The rich and wealthy would custom-order a piece through their local jeweler, who would send the design off to China to be made and sent back to Europe. This lengthy process was very expensive, making Chinese export pieces highly desirable, then and now. Chinese stone cutters were considered some of the finest artisans in the world. They would spend years learning to hand-carve many different types of stones, and excelled in creating finely detailed pieces other artisans couldnt even hope to compare to.

Their skill was so refined that they could even carve delicate stones like coral and jade. Chinese stone cutters were so talented that Victorian era European socialites would commission pieces from them, preferring the hefty price tag that came with such high quality work to the ready availability of Western stonework. The method of enameling dates to the Ancient Egyptians. The Greeks, Celts, Georgians, and Chinese all followed suite. The technique involves fusing powered glass to a substrate, or base, by firing.

In jewelry, the base is generally a metal. Enamel is made of colored powdered glass, or may include clear powdered glass that is mixed with colorful metallic pigments. It is primarily used on decorative art or jewelry, usually small in size. Besides jewelry, enamel can also be applied to glass, ceramic, stone, and various other materials. Filigree metal working has been around for thousands of years, however it was perfected by the Phoenicians and Etruscan civilizations. It involves stamping out a design in your metal and hand bending and twirling until your design is formed. It is considered one of the most difficult metal working processes. Amethysts are a semi-precious variety of quartz that are valued for their varying shades of translucent purple hues. Throughout antiquity, amethysts were used in religious and royal jewelry, and were considered as valuable as rubies, emeralds, and even sapphires.

PLEASE WAIT FOR AN UPDATED INVOICE BEFORE PAYING FOR YOUR ITEMS. Thank you for your cooperation. The item "Antique Vintage Deco Gold Sterling Silver Chinese Amethyst Enamel Drop Earrings" is in sale since Sunday, January 21, 2018. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Vintage & Antique Jewelry\Fine\Art Nouveau/Art Deco 1895-1935\Earrings". The seller is "abeautifultimeco" and is located in Fort Collins, Colorado.

This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Style: Drop/Dangle
• Metal: Sterling Silver
• Country/Region of Manufacture: China
• Metal Purity: .925
• Material: Enamel
• Main Stone: Amethyst
• Metal #2: Gold Wash