Girandole earrings

A girandole earring has three suspended elements, often pear-shaped, arranged beneath an upper section. A rosette or bow may sit above the drops. The name refers to a type of candelabrum, but in jewellery terminology it describes an earring form rather than a lighting object.

The form is particularly associated with eighteenth-century European jewellery. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a drawing of a girandole earring in a French jewellery album dated 1770 or later. A historical design documents the form but does not date a loose jewel that resembles it.

Examine the arrangement and attachment of the three drops, and compare the construction of both earrings in a pair. Record missing components and evidence of alterations to the suspensions or ear fittings. The term describes a shape; it does not establish the metal, stones, maker or age. Not every long earring with multiple articulated sections is a girandole.

Sources: Sotheby's: Girandole Earrings; The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Joaillerie, Page 3.