These rare antique Georgian cut steel earrings (circa early 19th century) are a true wearable work of art.
The innovation of cut steel jewelry dates to the 1700s. It involved melting horseshoe nails down to create small faceted “beads,” mimicking gemstones, which were then individually riveted to a base plate. The entire design was then brushed and polished by hand. A design like these earrings could involve dozens of individual stones, and all of this work was done by hand, one-by-one, so you can see how time consuming and labor-intensive this process was.
Cut steel was known to imitate the sparkle of diamonds in candle light, and it became extremely popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with the manufacturing of this style centered in Birmingham, England. Neapolitan famously gifted his second wife Marie Louise, a cut steel parure as a wedding gift in 1810. There are countless paintings of royalty and nobility from this era depicting wearing cut steel jewelry, shoe buckles, and other ornaments.
These specific earrings are a stunning example of this style– their size is quite statement making, but thanks to the handcraftsmanship and the particular technique used to make them, they are VERY lightweight for their size (in a way that’s hard to fathom in today’s age of mass production). They thread through the ear with a fish hook. They measure 12.5 cm total length x 37 mm at widest point.
The Vintage 1930s Red Velvet Cape pictured is also available.
Great antique condition. Note that the ear wire is not original to the earring and has been added later. With any questions about the specific condition or size, please email shop@verybreezy.com for additional photos or measurements, as all sales are final.
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