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Identifying earrings

Hoops, pendants, and wires from four thousand years of pierced ears.

Ancient earrings favour the hoop: tapered penannular gold hoops (Bronze Age), boat-shaped and mulberry forms (Greek and Etruscan), and Roman types from plain wire hoops to elaborate pendants with emeralds and pearls on wire drops. A single survivor is normal — pairs part company easily.

Construction is the clue: look for the join where the wire hooks closed, filigree and granulation (tiny soldered balls) on fine ancient work, and how stones are held — ancient settings favour boxes and wire wrapping over modern claw settings. Post-medieval earrings follow published fashion closely.

Small gold objects demand the treasure-law check in many countries — know your obligations before anything else. Weigh it, photograph the fastening under magnification, and describe stones cautiously ('green glass or stone') rather than naming gems you can't test.

From the guide library inside Collectors Catalogues, a free app for cataloguing antiques and finds with honest, museum-grade records.

More on jewellery

Dating medieval brooches — Form, pin, and section are your clues.

Identifying brooch and fibula types — Spring, bow, and catch.

Identifying finger rings — Hoop, shoulders, and bezel.

Identifying beads — Material, perforation, and wear.

Identifying cameos and intaglios — Carved in relief or sunk.

Identifying bracelets and bangles — Penannular gaps, snake heads, and twisted wire around the wrist.

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