Now a banned material, antique tortoise shell jewelry has become very collectable! These triple hoop earrings from the Victorian (ca1880) era are a wonderful example of the tradition. Each earring consists of three front-facing oval hoops, which are hand carved from tortoise shell and form a spiral-like design. All three?hoops dangle freely from a solid tortoise shell cube at the top, which is attached to a 14kt yellow lever back wire surmount.?The tortoise shell is fairly dark in color, and has wonderful caramel and amber hues that can be seen throughout each earring. Despite their substantial size, the earrings are wonderfully lightweight and comfortable to wear.?Perfect for the antique collector, they would look beautiful worn day or night!
Measurements: Each earring hangs approximately?2 3/4" long, including the lever back surmounts at the top. The largest hoop measures 1 1/2" long, 1" wide, and 1/8" thick. The middle hoop measures 1" long, 3/4" wide, and 1/4" thick. The smallest inner hoop measures 1/2" long, 3/8" wide, and 1/16" thick.
Condition: The overall condition of the earrings is excellent. Besides normal surface wear, there is no apparent damage to the carved tortoise shell links or to the gold lever back wires, which are secure and intact.