Heraldic Adornments - Art Deco Gold Plate & Sterling Silver Resin Lion Dangly Earrings (ADE037)

Heraldic Adornments - Art Deco Gold Plate & Sterling Silver Resin Lion Earrings. These unique earrings are crafted from gold plate over metal and sterling silver.  They feature Art Deco era styling, and quality craftsmanship.  These earrings are comprised of two amber resin discs, which are adorned by an engraved sterling silver heraldic lion. The surmounts are French lever backs, and are crafted from gold plate over metal. They are for pierced ears and were most likely a replacement at one point in time from non-pierced antique screw-backs to the pierced French lever backs. Antique screw- backs started to become popular during the late victorian era, until the 1940s. Then it was clip-on earrings that became a fad in the 50s and 60s until pierced ears became poplar once again. These earrings are very unique and versatile, therefore they can be worn day or night, with anything and everything! 

History: Heraldic relates to a coats of arms (= special shields or shield-shaped patterns that are the sign of a family, university, or city) and the history of the families, universities, etc. that they belong to: a heraldic banner.

The lion has always held a high place in heraldry  as the emblem of deathless courage, and hence, that of a valiant warrior. 

Chemists eventually realized that many natural resins and fibers were polymers. The first synthetic plastic was the introduction of Bakelite, invented by Leo Baekeland in 1907. His company produced laminating varnish, molding material, and cast resin.

The story of silver mining began about 5,000 years ago. Silver was first mined around 3,000 BCE in Anatolia, now located in modern-day Turkey. The precious metal helped early civilizations in the Near East, Ancient Greece to flourish. 

The term sterling silver denotes any silver alloy in which pure silver makes up at least 92.5 percent of the content. One theory is that the word sterling comes from the name Easterlings—coiners from east German states brought to England during the reign of Henry II (1154–89) to improve the quality of the coinage.

Measurements: Earrings 28.00 mm x 14.00 mm 

Weight: 2.50 grams 

Condition: Very Good 

Origin: England 

Date: Circa 1920