French Victorian Earrings
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Amethyst, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Oriental Pearl, 18k Gold
1990s French Late Victorian Drop Earrings
Antique 1870s French Victorian Drop Earrings
Garnet, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Agate, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold
Antique 1880s French Victorian Chandelier Earrings
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Chandelier Earrings
Natural Pearl, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Rock Crystal, Gilt Metal
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Emerald, Silver, Yellow Gold
Antique 1880s French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Natural Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Antique 1850s French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, White Diamond, Turquoise, Gold, Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
20th Century Victorian Lever-Back Earrings
Turquoise, Gold, 14k Gold, Rose Gold
Vintage 1980s French Early Victorian Clip-on Earrings
Gold Plate
Vintage 1980s French Early Victorian Clip-on Earrings
Gold Plate
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Hoop Earrings
18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Malachite, Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Hoop Earrings
Turquoise, 18k Gold
Antique 1870s French Victorian Brooches
Emerald, Pearl, Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Chandelier Earrings
Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Chandelier Earrings
Antique Mid-19th Century French Victorian Stud Earrings
Coral, Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1880s French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Gilt Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Gilt Metal
Antique 19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1870s French Victorian Drop Earrings
Gilt Metal
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Gilt Metal
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Antique 1860s French Victorian Drop Earrings
Base Metal
Antique 1890s French Victorian Chandelier Earrings
18k Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Drop Earrings
Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Emerald
Vintage 1950s French Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold Plate, Gilt Metal, Brass, Bronze
Antique 1880s French Victorian Stud Earrings
White Diamond, 18k Gold, Silver
Antique Mid-19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
Antique 1870s French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold
Antique 1860s French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Garnet, 18k Gold
Antique 1860s French Victorian Dangle Earrings
18k Gold
Antique 1880s French Victorian Drop Earrings
Onyx, Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 19th Century French Victorian Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Antique 1880s French Victorian Clip-on Earrings
Antique 1890s French Victorian Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1980s French Modern Clip-on Earrings
Gilt Metal
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Gold, Enamel
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold
1990s French Late Victorian Drop Earrings
Vintage 1960s French Victorian Clip-on Earrings
Copper
Antique Late 19th Century French Late Victorian Lever-Back Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, Turquoise
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Dangle Earrings
French Dangle Earrings
Antique 19th Century French Victorian Dangle Earrings
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century French Victorian Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
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French Victorian Earrings For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are French Victorian Earrings?
A Close Look at Victorian Jewelry
The reign of Queen Victoria encapsulates a quickly evolving period of history — and jewelry styles were no exception. No single period has seen such a diverse group of jewelry attributed to it than the Victorian era. Today, there is a vast collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry and watches on 1stDibs.
Victorian jewelry is named after Queen Victoria, whose reign lasted from 1837 to 1901, making her the second longest-ruling monarch. (She was surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015.) During this time, different styles of fashion and jewelry came and went. Thanks to our fascination with royalty and swoon-worthy melodramas like Netflix’s The Crown — which is rife with evocative fashion, jewelry and interiors — and the 2017 feature film Victoria Abdul, we are all familiar with her story. After the death of Victoria’s father and three childless uncles, she ascended to the throne at age 18. In 1840, Queen Victoria married the love of her life, her first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Queen Victoria loved serpentine jewels, and she had even more power to shape trends than Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle do today. The British monarch’s best-known piece in this mold is the gold coiled-snake engagement ring she received from Prince Albert — the sinuous reptile was considered a symbol of everlasting love.
The Queen's 63-year reign has been divided by historians into the Romantic period, the early happy years, circa 1837–60; the Grand period, marked by the deaths of the Queen’s mother and husband, circa 1860–80; and the late Victorian or Aesthetic period, which lasted from about 1880 until 1901 and ushered in the Belle Époque. Queen Victoria wore her heart on her sleeve, and her fashion and jewelry reflected her emotions.
Romantic period jewelry, which featured common decorative motifs and was embellished with seed pearls, coral and turquoise, was a celebration of the young monarch’s love. Everything changed with the death of Prince Albert, and the Grand period is most often associated with mourning jewelry. Jewelry was smaller, lighter and more dainty during the late Victorian period. During this era, diamonds came into fashion, and semiprecious gems such as amethysts and opals became prevalent, too. Using gemstones for their natural beauty and not their worth was something that jewelers of the era felt passionate about, and this ideology would really become relevant in Art Nouveau jewelry.
Find a collection of authentic antique Victorian jewelry — from rings, necklaces and brooches to a range of other accessories — on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Earrings for You
In the United States, ear piercing didn’t really become popular until the 1950s and ‘60s, but our desire for a dazzling pair of vintage earrings has deeper roots than that. In fact, wearing earrings actually goes back thousands of years, and you can find many tangible connections between now and then in how we continue to talk about these treasured accessories.
Women wore ornamental earrings — studs and hoops at the very least — in Ancient Egypt, which is home to mines that are among the earliest sources of emeralds in the world. Emerald earrings are highly prized today, and their quality lies in their rich, saturated color. The highest-quality emeralds are green or bluish-green. Earrings worn by the affluent in early Roman civilizations were set with precious stones such as diamonds and pearls, and a clean-looking pop of pearl on the front of the lobe is as timeless as ever. Hoop earrings are imbued with symbolism and cultural significance for many, and on view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Near Eastern Art Gallery is a pair of simple gold hoops from Mesopotamia dating to between 2600 and 2500 B.C.
Today, ear piercing is very popular all over the world, and, as a result, it is difficult to overstate how much everyone pines for a good pair of earrings — modernist drop earrings, glamorous Victorian hoops, geometrically complex chandelier earrings, you name it. Sure, jewelry trends and the fashion darlings of social media come and go, but earrings have a staying power that seems impenetrable: The still-strong love affair between British royals and Cartier earrings is more than a century old, glossy 1970s hoops from legacy houses such as Bulgari and Van Cleef Arpels remain the statement makers they’ve always been and although people have been stacking earrings for many moons, the allure of an expertly mismatched stack of charms and studs still feels fresh and new.
While there is no shortage of modern earring designs to choose from, the classics, like coral earrings, Art Deco–style earrings and diamond drop earrings are still heavy hitters. On 1stDibs, find a wide range of antique, new and vintage earrings today.
- What are French clip earrings?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertNovember 6, 2023French clip earrings are a type of earring with a specific backing. The design is typically characterized by an open wire clip with a hinge that swings shut to fit over the post and rest against the back of the earlobe. A benefit of the French clip is that it helps to keep earrings from bending or shifting during wear. Explore a large selection of French clip earrings on 1stDibs.
- What is a French clasp earring?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertDecember 4, 2023A French clasp earring is a pierced earring with a uniquely designed backing. Specifically, the French clasp is a curved wire mounted on a hinge that fits over the post after you insert the earring. Also called the French clip, the hardware helps to keep earrings from rotating or bending in a piercing. On 1stDibs, find an assortment of French clip earrings.
Roman Malakov DiamondsMarch 24, 2021French wire in earrings is a type of back that features a curved hook that goes through your ear. The hook is open at the back, and the earring can sit on the earlobe without an earring back.