Art Deco Earrings

From delicate drops to circular clusters, Art Deco earrings reflect the streamlined yet elegant sensibilities of the movement: bold colors, geometric patterns, and extended ornamentation. One gemstone frequently used in jewelry during the era, which lasted from the mid-1920s to late 1930s, was the diamond.

Glistening with inset diamonds that enveloped precious pearls, jade, and other gemstones, many Art Deco earrings relied on simplified circles or squares. These were then accentuated with the organic addition of repetitive scrolls, semi-circles and other arabesques.

The diamond's inherent sparkle, often with its white gold or platinum setting, contributed to the dazzling aura for which the 1920s were known. The Baguette cut became particularly popular, as well as the French cut – a square-cut style with many geometric planes and completely in line with Art Deco fashion.

Quick Facts

• The field of Art Deco design included some of the biggest names in jewelry, from Cartier and Bucheron in Europe to Tiffany and Van Cleef & Arpels in the United States
• Asscher-cut stones were quite popular during the Art Deco period. This particular cut is named after its inventor, Joseph Asscher, who is known for cutting the famous Cullinan diamond, now part of the British Crown Jewels
• Art Deco earrings capitalized on the innovation of the friction back earring. A design patented in 1920, the friction back, which includes a coiled backing that slipped on to the earring post and stayed in place by friction, is still the most popular earring backing today