A pair of late nineteenth century earrings, composed of emeralds and rose cut diamonds set in gold and silver, diamonds set closed-back, emeralds set open-back, of day-to-night form with two detachable sections, allowing for wear in a variety of configurations, with later ear fittings marked 'B59,' earrings otherwise unmarked, length 2.5 inches, 22 grams, circa 1870.

By 1860 fashion again favored hairstyles swept back away from the face and featuring cascades of curls, in contrast to preceding decades which favored hair that covered the ears. Fashion in hairstyles necessarily affected choices in jewelry, with earrings being rare during the 1840s, but bursting onto the scene in the 1860s in innumerable forms and styles. The 1860s also saw a boom in revivalist jewelry from Etruscan to Egyptian to the Renaissance. Moreover, naturalistic motifs were popular during this period, and novelty jewelry took on new, unprecedented forms such as insects, fish, birds, flowers, lizards, etc. Earrings were immensely popular during this period and grew to enormous proportions during the late 1860s, with some earrings even resting on the shoulders.