Antique Victorian Cut Steel Earrings 14k$1NR

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We'd like to thank all of the folks who've been so generous with their compliments and positive feedback . We work hard to be worthy of our 100% rating and always try to provide 5 star service...so we hold the lightening fast priority shipping to actual cost with no handling fees and are pleased to offer free U.S. shipping of these earrings . We're sorry folks, we did have another pair of cut steel earrings listed this week, but because of a error in the listing we had to pull them down. We regret that pair won't relist, but we do have this lovely pair for your consideration... This auction is for a lovely pair of late Victorian era cut steel earrings. The round earring face has a beautiful wreath of curling, spinning leaves. They have a beautiful polished finish with a dark antiquing in the deeper recesses. Notice that there is a tiny bit of a rich red clinging to those deep areas as well? At one time, these pieces had an applied burgundy tinting which covered all of the leaves, now faded to just a few places. The wreath is studded with faceted steel "gems" that frame a glittering center cut steel; it's a shame that they ever stopped using them, they offer a such a wonderful flash to these earrings. "Cut steel" jewelry had it's first hurrah in the 1780's when an enterprising English fellow discovered that if you formed steel into gem shapes and highly polished them, they had a twinkle that rivaled the best of diamonds. He, and others of the time, made whole suites of jewelry, buckles and most popularly, buttons. Our earrings started life as clothing buttons made circa 1885....yes, antique buttons! Ladies of the 1860's and '70's wore gowns which simply had less decoration but by the 1880's, even average folks had money available for the finer things in life and dresses began to use much fancier fabrics and decorative trims. We've pictured a Victorian era gal wearing her fancy cut steel buttons on a gown that is probably very similar to the one that our buttons once decorated and a lady wearing a earrings with a button style and ear wires very much like ours. So,the earring "face" is antiqued brass with steel studs and the vintage style ear wires are new, solid 14k yellow gold. The earrings measure 17.9mm in diameter and hang just over 1 and 1/8 inches long in the ear. They weigh 3.6 total grams or a whisper light 1.8 grams each. The earrings are in excellent, ready to wear condition. We are professional jewelers with an eye tuned to see beauty...and we see it everywhere, even in a ornament as humble as an antique clothing button! We're tired of our fine jewelry clients asking for something "unique" and picking the same thing that everyone else has...apparently, a lot of YOU feel the same way because over the last four and a half years we have successfully made and auctioned so many, many pairs of fabulous earrings. Every pair of our earrings are signed with a "A" in a diamond shape...we stand behind our work and the "Ace of Diamond" trademark is the proof. After opening the thread loops to act as "catchers" we attach solid 14k gold ear wires using our laser welder. The welder literally uses a laser beam to perfectly fuse the metals together; no sloppy solders or ruinous torch flame. We always use solid 14k so you have "good" gold for your ears...we don't want less, why would you? Some gals have been nervous about wearing the shepherd hook wires but are always relieved the find that the catchers make them very secure. No more fumbling with (and losing!) little ear nuts...that and the wires give the earrings a saucy, eye catching swing. We can't help wonder what type of dress these buttons decorated...did they stroll the boardwalk under a fancy parasol and a feathered hat? We love that 125 years ago, a happy gal sewed these buttons onto her best dress; glittering jewels which must have captured every admiring glance in the room. If only she could see them now! The finest gowns will soil and fade but our lady treasured her beautiful dress enough to save these buttons as ... read more

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