Timeless Art Deco Earrings with 4.60 ct Diamonds in Platinum, ca. 1930

Are you familiar with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1920 short story Berenice Bobs Her Hair? The story is about a young girl who shocks her peers with the idea that she might cut her hair short. When she is then pressured to actually do it, she faces the prospect of drastic consequences for her social status. There’s more than a grain of truth in Fitzgerald’s story, because in reality, cutting off long hair was considered a scandalous departure from traditional femininity, and many salons flat-out refused to perform the procedure. What does this story have to do with these earrings? It was the women’s short haircuts of the 1920s that made long earrings an indispensable accessory, as they drew attention to the hairstyle—which was as elegant as it was emancipated. In 1921, Asta Nielsen shocked the contemporaries with her bob, but by the middle of the decade it had already ascended to the pinnacle of fashion—and with it, long earrings. In 1926, the German fashion magazine *Die Dame* reported that there were two types of bob: a very angular one and a softer, wavy one: “The new jewellery effectively complements both styles. Elegant women are currently very fond of wearing long earrings” (Die Dame – A German Journal for Discerning Taste, September 1926). Such a lady would have noticed these earrings at some point—perhaps in a jeweller’s storefront window, perhaps while she was already seated among the sparkling offerings in the salesroom. The focal point of each earring is a large old-cut diamond that dangles beneath the ear like a floating point of light—held in place by a subtle setting that wraps almost invisibly around the diamond from behind. Artfully concealed hinges allow the pendants to move fluidly, surprising the wearer with a softness almost like fabric: a total of 4.60 ct of diamonds sparkle with unexpected lightness at the ear. A beautifully preserved, striking pair of earrings that embodies the modern spirit of Art Deco in every respect. It is accompanied by an independent appraisal of the quality of the materials.

Estimate:£30,486.04

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