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Vintage sterling silver pearl filigree dove & heart wedding earrings.  These gorgeous earrings are crafted from sterling silver, hallmarked 925 on the back of one earring.  Featuring beautiful filigree work and genuine pearls.  The surmount is a medallion of delicate filigree work with a genuine luminous pearl, the larger medallion is composed of a heart flanked with a dove on each side,  three drops expertly wired with two pearls. Beautifully articulated, the last medallion is a filigree crescent moon with a sea of pearls suspended from the moon. Each dangle (9 dangles per earrings) have two genuine pearls on the secure wires, there are a total of 50 pearls on these earrings without one single pearl missing.  The pearls are white in colour with a very slight silvery grey hue, they are beautiful and display much lustre, vintage pearls tend to be a much better quality than the pearls of today. The earrings have secure ear wires with a catch for additional security. Dramatic in style with their wonderful large scale, they looking stunning when worn and have nice movement.  A perfect choice for a destination wedding, gift, or a wonderful addition to any jewelry collection that can be formally or casually worn. 

Note: When the Spanish colonized Mexico in the first half of the 16th century much of the pre-Hispanic jewelry was collected and melted for the Spanish crown. Indigenous craftsman were taught new techniques while artist's guilds were established for the purposes of taxation and quality control. Given the strict standards to which both indigenous and itinerant jewelers were held, there was little room for individuality or artistic expression. That all changed when Mexico won independence from Spain in 1810. New techniques were popularized and the colonial baroque designs of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were superseded by less formal, more intimate, whimsical designs. Nowhere was this artistic spontaneity more apparent than in the state of Oaxaca. The art of filigree, a technique introduced to Mexico by Spanish colonists, consists of curling and twisting pliable gold or silver threads and then uniting them with molten flux, borax and a blow-pipe. This art form, having quickly gained traction in Guerrero, Michoacan and Oaxaca, was also utilized for the manufacture of earrings. As artisans became more proficient, their creations were further embellished with fresh water pearls, seed pearls, coral, granulated work and sometimes semi-precious stones. 

Measurements:  3 1/4" x 1/4" 

Stone Size: Pearl 5mm - 3mm 

Weight: 18.1 grams 

Condition: Excellent 

Origin: Mexico, Oaxaca

Date: Circa 1960