I know I have
seen at least one instance of a post or stud earring in an 18th century portrait,
or was it 19th century? I cannot find it! When doing research I have a wonderful booked called Earrings from
Antiquity to the Present by Daniela Mascetti and Amanda Triossi. It
gives a great chronology of earrings and what was popular and what was not as
well as when new technologies came into being. The first instance that I
see of anything like a stud mentioned is something popular in the 1930's
described as a "prong soldered at the back of the earring, which is
inserted into the pierced earlobe and secured by a small, usually hexagonal,
plate.”
Earrings from my personal collection showing the leverback going into the BACK of the ear and connecting in the front. These are solid gold with an Amethyst decoration.
My articles about
runaways are a good place to start for jewelry explained on what they had on or
what they may have taken with them. I'd also suggest for campfollowers (or the
lower sort/working class person) an article that I did for that as well.
As with anything, there is usually a caveat to everything in
that depending on the prosperity of the shop or trade the working class person
is associated with could mean they wear something nicer or nothing at all.
Hoops worn by Marie-Catherine de Lamoignon de Basville 1789 by Lebrun (Cropped)
I also checked my
other two "go-to" books called Jewelry in America, 1600-1900 by
Martha Gandy Fales as well as Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria, A
Mirror to the World by Charlotte Gere and Judy Rudoe and did not see any
posts/studs whatsoever into the 19th century. That doesn't meant they
didn't exist, but maybe they weren't common or popular. Many of the designs for earrings usually showed a shepard's hook (or what we call an earwire).
Poissard Earrings from Winterthur Museum
(Photo from Earrings from Antiquity to the Present)
I offer a presentation which can be requested if interested! Other styles of earrings included:
Girandole (set with diamonds and other stones, elongated
central drop, with bow replaced by more complex design)
Pendeloque (marquise-shaped surmount supporting a central
ribbon bow motif and elongated drop of a design similar to the surmount
decorated with a swing center)
Two-Stone (also known as Double Cluster or Double Drop -
have two large oval faceted gemstones or were made of metal, the larger on top
with the plane joining the two embellished with various decorative motifs.)
Iberian (evolved designs showed the form of a girandole and
pendeloque – long and heavy – needed special mounts to support their weight which also included wig loops)
Poissarde (hinged fitting at the back, usually in the form
of a flat panel or half decorated loop decorated with enamel or with stones)
Pendant and Long Pendant (just started in favor - normally had earwires on the back and possibly a wig loop as well)
So, should you wear posts for your impressions? You could but... I do sell post style earrings but they normally have a dangle drop to them and emulate those of the time periods I'm trying to focus on or have an illusion of an earwire on the back. But, just a regular pearl post or bead post is probably no correct until we can find proof. I never say never. There is so much out there that I haven't seen, it could be there and I have overlooked it.
What have you
seen out there? Please share your
thoughts and send them to me at kimberlywalters@comcast.net
