A pair of early twentieth century gold dangle earrings, set with pear shaped garnets rose cut and foiled in closed-back settings, descending from a series of three, small rose cut garnets, also closed-back and foiled, with post back earhooks, length 1.25 in, 5.7 grams.

By the mid 1930s, the all white look of diamond and platinum jewelry of the preceding decades had all but faded away, replaced by colored gold and vibrant gemstones. Fashion in clothing and jewelry was rapidly changing, precipitated by the repeal of Prohibition and the abandonment of the gold standard in 1933. Despite the crippling effects of the Great Depression, nightclubs reopened and Hollywood glamour sparked hope for better days with jewelry to go along with it. Fewer and less expensive gemstones were hallmarks of this era including synthetic rubies and sapphires, in keeping with technological advancements at the time. Jewelry from this time period is often termed 'Retro Modern' alluding to a return to the vibrant colors and naturalistic themes prominent during the Victorian period, but with an eye to the future embodied in The Machine Age. Jewels became bigger and bolder as society hungrily eyed a better future.