Voluminous and seductive, these French jet shoulder dusters are definite statement earrings. Cool to the touch and known for its bright glitter, French jet is actually a form of glass utilized for jewelry of greater delicacy and more intricate construction than its counterpart Whitby jet. Consisting of tiny faceted French jet studs, the surmount forms a modified cross motif, from which hangs a large faceted diamond-shaped pendant. Four circular star-faceted drops dangle from the pendant, creating a dark shimmer with your every movement.
The relationship between coiffure and adorning the ears has forever been symbiotic. Earrings virtually disappeared in the 1840s and 1850s, when the predominant center-parted hairstyle and elaborate floral tiaras concealed the ears. Large, beribboned bonnets further obscured the earlobes. Simple stone post earrings, dormeuses or “sleepers,” were worn at night to prevent piercings from closing.
When upswept coiffures exposed the earlobe in the 1860s and 1870s, earrings were once again in vogue. Early on, earrings sizes fluctuated, and eventually grew to enormous proportions with France leading the craze for long pendant earrings or pendeloques. Flash forward to the twenty-first century and the statement earring is going strong.
Period: Victorian
Circa: 1870
Origin: Europe
Condition: Excellent
Materials: French jet, 15k gold
Dimensions: 9.52 cm long, 32 mm wide
Weight: 16.2 grams
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