Antique Silver Paste & Marcasite Chandelier Earrings

A dramatic pair of antique chandelier earrings in silver, of elaborate openwork girandole form, set throughout with green paste and glittering marcasite. From a scrolling, foliate top rise three articulated drops, each terminating in a green paste, the whole design shimmering with movement and light — a bold, theatrical pair with real presence, at over 80mm long.

Green paste, foiled to deepen its colour, was worn and admired in its own right for centuries, and the addition of marcasite — faceted iron pyrites — gives these earrings their characteristic antique sparkle. Probably Portuguese, in the Iberian taste, and suspended on gold hook fittings, they are a striking and unusual survival — a real statement worn against a plain neckline.

Details

• Metal: silver, with gold hook fittings (marked 18ct)
• Stones: green paste (foil-backed) with marcasite accents
• Design: openwork girandole chandelier form with three articulated drops
• Fittings: gold hook wires
• Origin: probably Portuguese
• Dimensions: 27mm x 82mm
• Weight: 9.44g each
• Condition: Good antique condition, with wear consistent with age
• Care: foil-backed paste — keep dry, do not immerse