Italian women have always loved lavish display. Even for the poorest, a rich show of jewellery was all important. Italian goldsmiths were expert at making a little material go a very long way. They backed garnets with foil to improve their colour, and used very thin gold to give the appearance of wealth. This earring is made of silver, gilded to look like gold, and the garnets are probably doublets, made from a tiny sliver of garnet stuck to the front of a transparent glass stone.

All Italian women wore gold earrings. Their shapes varied widely in different places. One of the most popular designs was the girandole, with three drops hanging from a central boss. This 17th century pattern survived until the end of the 19th century with traditional costume in Italy. This earring comes from the area around Parma and Modena, but similar patterns were found throughout central and northern Italy in the 19th century. The original owner of this earring would probably have worn a long matching pendant as well.

This earring was bought for £2 (the pair) as part of the Castellani collection of Italian Peasant Jewellery at the International Exhibition, Paris, 1867.