1900-1909 Pre-Revolutionary 14k Gold Coral Earrings, A Pair

Details

Description

Circa the 1900’s, these pre-revolutionary Imperialist earrings center around gorgeous deep-orange coral oblong balls. The large piece of coral is … Read more Circa the 1900’s, these pre-revolutionary Imperialist earrings center around gorgeous deep-orange coral oblong balls. The large piece of coral is held in place by talon prongs that wrap around the ball and connect to a shepherd hook. Most striking about these earrings is the color of the coral, front and center, in a shade so rich it has its own glow. The Sardinian coral would have been imported to Russia from Italy, and highly prized at the time. The four gold prongs meet on the back of the earrings in a floral, seashell-like element that add another layer of beauty to the workmanship of this piece.

The earrings close by hooking the stems securely into the elongated shepherd’s hook. To ensure the coral is held in place, they were carefully glued just underneath the prongs with a red-colored glue to protect the balls from coming loose overtime—more evidence of the meticulous workmanship and care put into making this piece.

The earrings measure 1” from top to bottom, and the coral balls measure 5/8” across by 3/8” deep. Combined, the earrings weigh 8.5 grams. Both earrings are marked with the left-facing Kokoshnik mark, the zolotnik of 56 for 14k gold, and an assay mark in Cyrillic that we were not able to identify, all dating the earrings to 1899-1908.

For pierced ears. See less