Victorian Piqué Dangle Earrings

Circa 1880. These lovely lightweight Victorian Piqué earrings are fashioned from tortoiseshell and accented with an ornate gold and silver design. Piqué was a decorative style popular in the 18th and 19th centuries and involved inlaying a delicate pattern of gold or silver into tortoiseshell. The 1860s marked the height of tortoiseshell piqué jewelry designs, which typically featured naturalistic themes. Today, piqué pieces are hard to find and have become very collectible.