Victorian 15ct Gold Etruscan Revival Drop Earrings

A superb pair of Victorian earrings in 15ct gold, worked in the Etruscan Revival taste, each formed as an elongated amphora-shaped drop suspended from a granulated bead surmount. The drops are decorated with fine applied ropework and wirework running the length of the cone, tipped with tiny gold beads in the archaeological manner, terminating in an elegant point. The soft, bloomed matte finish of the gold — a hallmark of the finest revival goldsmithing — gives them a wonderfully rich, antique glow.

The Etruscan Revival was one of the great achievements of Victorian jewellery, inspired by the rediscovered goldwork of the ancient world and made famous by makers such as Castellani. Executed here with real delicacy and skill, these are a striking and substantial pair, and a beautiful example of nineteenth-century craftsmanship at its most refined.

Details

• Metal: 15ct Yellow Gold
• Design: Etruscan Revival amphora-shaped drops with applied ropework, wirework and granulation; granulated bead surmounts
• Finish: bloomed (matte) gold
• Fittings: shepherd's hook wires
• Dimensions: 
• Weight: 2.94g each
• Condition: Very good, with wear consistent with age
• Era: Victorian, circa 1870