Buttercup White Paste FRENCH Day to Night Dangle Dormeuse Earrings 18k Gold Black Enamel

I am selling an assortment of vintage to antique jewelry and rings which I have hunted for and gathered from around the world. Some examples seen in the last photo - thanks for stopping by!

ABOUT:

Timeless and romantic French Victorian era earrings in 18k gold with a buttercup setting featuring black enamel highlights, each holding two old cut paste stones meant to look like diamonds.

These are "day to night" earrings with the dormeuse holding the larger dangles, which can be removed so the smaller tops can be worn alone. They were named this to wear the simpler top portion during the day. Then when evening comes, they would add the additional larger dangles to make them more fancy for dinner or the ball.

The earrings have a hooked lever back that are inserted from the back of the ear and clips into the front.

Antique box not included. Please note the measurements as I have small hands and it can be difficult to decipher scale from photos.

SIZE & MEASUREMENTS:

They measure about 31mm top to bottom by 12mm at the widest.
They weigh 2.5g combined.
The paste stones are 4.5mm and 3.5mm so a little over a carat total weight in the pair to give you an idea of scale.

IMPORTANT CONDITION NOTES:
One of the larger paste stones has circular flakes of loss in one area covering almost a quarter of the stone. This loss is to the top facets, so the outside girdle edge is still complete, making the stone still fill the bezel space and appear complete to the eye. But when you study the surface in a reflection you can see the shards that were lost leaving a differing texture in that area.

These old beauties with their 150 year old intricate gold hinges are certainly not for 24/7 wear.
These old pieces always need a gentle hand as pretty much all French dormeuse have a dainty fabrication, and even more so these due to age - but they latch securely and the hinges function well. These French earrings are very popular, I’ve sold many and buyers often report back that it just takes a little practice and patience inserting the hooked end from behind and then latching them while on the ear but that they get the hang of it with time. : )
Still beautiful and appropriate for gentle handling considering age and fabrication.

Please note that all my pieces are pre-owned and in estate condition. They will have patina, surface wear, a few small nicks. These pieces may also have evidence of a sizing, some build up around the stones and / or inclusions seen under magnification, typical for antique pieces. I have mentioned any noticeable issues above and they are all still wearable and eager to be loved and accepted for many years to come, (the preservation of antique jewelry, even those with signs of their age and history, is important to me. : )
But - Please note due to age, this piece is not in mint condition. Pictures also serve as part of the description and condition report so please utilize the zoom feature which will magnify any wear significantly more than what is visible to the eye while wearing : )

I enjoy making my customers happy and matching unique pieces with new homes. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions! It means a lot to me that you are visiting my shop! : )

SOCIAL:
Please feel free watch @mouseshouseantiques on Instagram for inventory drops, sneak peaks and previews! And check out my website www.MousesHouseAntiques.com as I can add more pics there so you can get extra looks : )

Thanks so much for looking at my items!

Box#@.^@4