Antique Silver Paste Chandelier Drop Earrings

Romantic 19th-century drop earrings in solid silver with gold wires, set with sparkling hand‑cut paste diamond stones. Each beautifully articulated earring features a graceful openwork design of stylised leaves, culminating in a pear‑shaped drop with a suspended flower cluster.

The French jeweller Georges Frédéric Strass invented “Paste" in 1724. True paste is crafted from a special leaded glass that was painstakingly cut and then polished by hand with metal powder until it appeared to shimmer like a diamond. It was an instant success with the chic upper classes of Parisian society and continues to be highly sought after today. Nowadays paste is often used as a generic term to describe costume gemstones.

SIZE: 5 x 1.4cm.

WEIGHT: 9.5g.

MATERIALS: Silver, gold, paste gemstones.

HALLMARKS/STAMPS: None, the earrings have been tested to confirm they are sterling and nine-carat gold.

CONDITION: In very good antique condition; one tiny paste is vacant, one or two stones have minor chips when seen under magnification but all seem to be original and well matched, with no obvious replacements.

ERA: Estimated late Georgian/early Victorian (c.early-mid 1800s).

Antique and vintage boxes photographed are for display only and are not included unless stated in the description. 

Please be sure to examine all the photos carefully as they form part of the description, and do feel free to ask if you have any questions, we’re always happy to help where we can!

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