Mid-Century Openwork Floral Earrings with Green Rhinestones

Jewelry

Pair of gold-tone openwork floral earrings featuring looping wire petals centered with green rhinestones and accented by smaller matching stones, mounted on clip-back fittings.

Mid-Century Openwork Floral Earrings with Green Rhinestones Mid-Century Openwork Floral Earrings with Green Rhinestones Mid-Century Openwork Floral Earrings with Green Rhinestones - Image 2 Mid-Century Openwork Floral Earrings with Green Rhinestones – Image 2
Mid-Century Openwork Floral Earrings with Green Rhinestones - Image 2

Ear Clips – Pair

circa 1945 – circa 1958

Dating is supported by openwork atomic-era floral styling, early clip-back construction, and the use of colored rhinestones popular in post–World War II costume jewelry.

Method of Manufacture Machine-formed wire framework shaped into looping floral petals Soldered assembly onto central backing plate Mass-produced costume jewelry construction with hand-set stones Electroplated gold-tone finish applied after assembly Setting & Construction Central rhinestone mounted in a raised cup setting Smaller stones secured in closed-back settings (adhesive-set rather than pronged) Openwork petal design created from rounded metal wire loops Hinged clip-back findings with tension spring mechanism Materials Gold-tone plated base metal (likely brass alloy) Green faceted glass rhinestones (emerald-tone) Metal clip fittings with plated finish Technical Dating Indicators Lightweight wire-loop floral motif associated with late 1940s optimism and decorative experimentation Clip earrings replacing earlier screw-back dominance Atomic-age organic abstraction blending floral and geometric design Absence of maker’s mark typical of department-store costume jewelry

These earrings reflect mid-century fashion’s fascination with stylized nature motifs interpreted through modern industrial design. After WWII, jewelry designers increasingly combined traditional floral symbolism with abstracted forms influenced by modernism and atomic-age aesthetics. Green rhinestones were particularly fashionable during the late 1940s and early 1950s, complementing popular clothing colors such as chartreuse, jade, and emerald tones seen in postwar textiles. Clip earrings indicate social norms prior to widespread ear piercing, when women commonly selected interchangeable costume jewelry to coordinate with seasonal wardrobes. Pieces like these were worn for: Daywear and office attire Social gatherings and church events Semi-formal evening wear

Green

Gold

Good

Mar 2, 2026

Moderate age-related wear to gold-tone plating, especially on reverse Minor oxidation visible on clip mechanisms Rhinestones present with slight clouding to central stones Structural integrity intact; clips functional

Description

This pair of mid-century floral earrings demonstrates the blending of natural inspiration and industrial design characteristic of postwar costume jewelry. Formed from looping gold-tone metal wires arranged into stylized petals, the earrings reinterpret the traditional flower motif through modern openwork construction. At their centers, emerald-colored rhinestones provide visual focus, while smaller stones add rhythm and balance across the design. The airy structure reflects changing aesthetic preferences of the late 1940s and 1950s, when jewelry became lighter both physically and visually, complementing evolving fashion silhouettes. Advances in electroplating and rhinestone manufacturing enabled affordable accessories that captured the brilliance of fine jewelry without the cost of precious materials. Such earrings were widely sold through department stores and mail-order catalogs, allowing women to participate in contemporary fashion trends regardless of economic status. Today, they serve as artifacts of mid-century optimism and the democratization of personal adornment, illustrating how costume jewelry translated modern design ideals into everyday wearable art.