I was just posting this pair to my store on etsy (TrojanArte if anyone is interested!) and it occurred to me that they have a couple distinctly retro features that would benefit from being pointed out. The obviously retro feature are the clip on backings. Women until the 1960s typically didn't pierce their ears since it was looked down upon socially, much like the stigma that lingers around women with tattoos and piercings. As a consequence, "good girls" who were raised before that time chose earrings that stayed on due to clasps or screw backs.
Less obvious is the root beer colored cabochon (the half dome crystal in the center) that is the central feature of the earrings. Browns, ambers, creams and the like were a very popular color during the 1940s. This type of root beer color dates the earrings from the 1940s to the early 50s and is very collectible. I once met a woman with an entire necklace made of large, carved, root beer colored beads; absolutely stunning! After the end of WWII tastes changed and colors became brighter, more candy colored and people began to customize the colors of their cars, kitchen appliances and more.
The two crystals flanking it are also significant. They have a finish known as aurora borealis, a special type of rhinestone finish that was first created in the 1950s. Their presence on the earrings pin points the earrings to the early 50s. I personally am a sucker for aurora borealis rhinestones and own several pieces featuring these crystals.
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