Antique 1 3/4" Red Coral & Rose Cut Diamond Chandelier Earrings 15K Gold & Silver

Jewelry : Antique : Fine : Art Nouveau : Coral : Genuine : Red Oxblood : Diamonds : Rose : Earrings : Pierced Posts

 

These sparkling earrings represent glamorous antiquity at its finest. High Baroque meets Romantic Art Nouveau! The ultimate in femininity.

Circa 1890-1910, each earring measures 1 3/4" long and features 3 genuine oxblood red coral button cabochons and 41 rose cut diamonds! With their origin most likely the British Empire, they are reminiscent of such a grand and romantic time long ago....but good taste never goes out of style, ladies. Etruscan granulation, accented with 15K yellow gold, genuine coral and diamonds....oh my!

So much opulence to describe here! The ornately swirled settings are hand crafted with a combination of 15K yellow gold and silver. Until the invention of white gold in the late 1910's, silver was extensively used as the only white metal alternative to platinum. Until the mid-1800's, diamonds were primarily reserved for royalty, the rich merchant classes and the titled and privileged few. It was during Late Victorian times that Europeans made diamonds popular and attainable for anyone, IF they that could afford them, of course.

Measuring 1 3/4" long (44mm) by 11/16" wide (17mm), the body of the earrings is hand crafted from thick pierced silver, accented with yellow gold pierced posts, thick gold backs and settings. The top of each earring opens into a wide fan that is laden with 7 diamonds. The 15K yellow gold pierced posts interestingly sit at the base, rather than the center, of the fan so that the fan clutches the ear lobe. At the front base of each fan is a 4mm thick coral cabochon set in 15K yellow gold. It does appear that the thick posts are original to the earrings. Despite their substantial size and a weight of 8.3 grams, the post style fittings offer perfect support and are quite comfortable and without the pulling that can accompany heavy pierced wires. I personally have a "4 gram" rule--if each earring weighs over 4 grams, pierced posts over pierced wires. But we are all different and some of you are blessed with stronger lobes than me.

The lower two sections of each earring connects to the fan with a 15K gold jump ring for lots of levered swing. These two sections were created in a solid one piece design that evokes all of the opulence of the High Baroque Period of the 1700's with soft Art Nouveau flair. The second section was created in a crescent design, each laden with 10 diamonds and a 4mm coral button set in 15K gold prongs at the top. The third section is crafted in a swirled bow and ribbon design laden with 6 diamonds, with a larger 7x4mm teardrop coral button at center.

Earrings of this stature from the earlier Georgian Period might have been as large as 5 inches or more. Elegant diamond earrings such as these were quite in vogue in the mid to late 1800's, and well into Edwardian Period of the early 1900's. Much of the vibrant flair of Art Deco earrings borrowed upon this style, with geometric design alterations. However, these earrings are as perfect in size and beauty for today's modern fashionista as they were over 100 years ago.

Great chandelier pierced post earrings encrusted with a multitude of antique diamonds and the deep red coral that all women love do not surface very often. Earrings such as these are indeed the icing on the cake. The deep red coral cabochon buttons add vibrant dancing color to the abundance of the 82 antique diamonds in the pair.

Prior to 1900, all diamonds were cut by hand and closely followed the natural octahedral shape of a diamond. Cut in the beloved rose cut pattern that was used from 1500-1900, all of the diamonds measure 2mm in diameter, with only a few in the 1.6-1.8mm range. As antique diamonds of this size tend to be a bit thicker with each its own personality, we estimate the total carat weight to be 2.0-2.5 TCW. The facets are planned to give the diamond the appearance of the opening of a rose bud, hence the name "rose cut". Sometimes called the 'Dutch rose cut', or simply 'rose', the crown of each diamond has 6 star facets.

These great earrings are in excellent condition with all 82 diamonds and 6 coral button cabochons original with no replacements--an amazing survival feat in itself. Hard to photograph, you can not get the full effect of these lovelies from the pictures. I guarantee you will love them in hand, and even more so on your ears. Ready to wear upon arrival, what eye candy these will make for all of your admirers, both male and female!

They will be delivered in an elegant rosewood presentation box, perfect for presentation and storage. Fellas, coral will protect her from evil and is the 35th wedding anniversary stone. And diamonds, lots of them, are for any day of the week! Take her breath away with these stately gems!

Always free shipping in the USA with a no hassle return policy. We want our customers to love our pieces as much as we do. If for ANY reason you do not, we are happy to refund your purchase price and the return shipping. And none of those ridiculous restocking fees at Cameo Couture. NEVER will be. We pledge and guarantee every item we sell will be loved or totally refunded so you can try whatever appeals to you hassle free.

Item ID: C-1449

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Red Coral & Diamonds.....a match made in Heaven!