Vintage 1950s Austrian Turquoise Glass Chandelier Earrings

Vintage 1950s chandelier earrings featuring turquoise coloured light blue glass beads set into a gold tone textured setting. The earrings feature a clip on earring setting, they are easy and comfortable to wear. These earrings are fantastic in design, a real statement piece. On the back of the earrings it says 'MADE AUSTRIA'.

HISTORY

During the Georgian Period, the Austro-Hungarian Empire established itself as a place to buy jewelry of the highest craftsmanship. In the 1800s, jewelers of the region, which became a center for glass artisans, started to combine their elaborate filigreed metalwork in silver and gold-tone with shimmering experimental pastes (glass stones), semi-precious stones, seed pearls, and brightly colored enamels in ostentatiously regal pieces.

Austria entered its darkest period in 1938, when the country was occupied by Nazi Germany. Many countries banned jewelry from Nazi-occupied regions, so Austria produced very little jewelry for export.

When the restrictions on manufacturing Czech and Austrian pastes, or rhinestones, was finally lifted, glass makers returned to producing "gems" in a marvelous rainbow of colors.

Postwar, a newly prosperous America was crazed with consumerism, and a particular taste for whimsy. That's why, during the late '40s and '50s, Austria began manufacturing glass fruit pins almost exclusively for export to the U.S. These little brooches, made of glass that was molded or carved into the shapes of strawberries, pears, cherries, or bunches of grapes, came in vivid colors like scarlet, violet, tangerine, amber, cobalt, and emerald green. (Source: Collectors Weekly)

HALLMARKS

MADE AUSTRIA

MEASUREMENTS

The earrings have a drop of 6.4cm / 2.5" and a width of 2.2cm / 0.9".

CONDITION

The earrings are in very good condition,

SKU

3295