Antique French Import gold, pearl, and enamel fringe earrings
Antique French Import gold, pearl, and enamel fringe earrings
A pair of Victorian gold, pearl, and enamel earrings, the circular gold tops featuring quatrefoil designs embellished with black enamel and seed pearls, suspending gold disks with ropetwist gold borders and graduated seed pearls, further suspending gold fringe terminating in seed pearls, with front-to-back wire hooks, in 18k. French import.
In Latin, quatrefoil means four leaves, and its
design often evokes the shape of a flower or four-leaved clover when used
in jewelry.
The motif reached a height of popularity in the Gothic and Renaissance eras, but its existence can be traced as far back as to the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations. Its symbolism has changed over time, signifying among other things good luck, the four corners of the earth, or harmony and symmetry.
- CountryFrance
- Circa1870
- Dimensions1 7/8" long, approximately 1/2" wide
- Weight7.4 grams
- SKUZ31425