Antique Georgian Empire earrings Gold filigree Day Night Sicilian v long (7299)

Antique Georgian or Empire era earrings long ear pendants. Gold. Made in Sicily, early 19th century.

Measurements: Weight is 23.7 grams. Not including the wires, the earrings are approximately 3 1/2 inches (8.5cm) long.

Description : Extremely long ear pendants that can be seperated into a pretty, shorter version for day wear and combined for an exceptionally long and elegant look at night. This versatility is called Day/Night or Top/Drop earrings. The drops are connected to the tops via gold loops. Simply unhooking them, seperates top from drop.
The wires/findings were made to go from the back of the earlobe to the front, which was considered easier to insert during the 19th century. They have pretty flowers adorning the fronts. These are composed of half spheres surrounded by filigree petals. The tops alone are reminiscent of French poissarde earrings.
The drops are stupendously long and elegant. They are composed of different sections, each part connected to the others via gold loops, that allow the sections to move independently of one another, while the whole would swing and sway as the wearer moved. The upper parts of the drops are butterfly or multi-bow shaped with outer gold borders containing scrolling gold filigree.
Filigree was not only decorative, but lightened the earrings. A pair of foliate lines surround a central, swinging feature of lyre form and botanic details. The bottom section is composed of a faceted half sphere surrounded by filigree work within inverted heart shapes.
These earrings are a tremendous WOW and will continue to impress today as much as they must have done over 200 years ago.
On page 91 of the book Earrings by Daniela Mascetti and Amanda Triossi is a pair of earrings that are astonishingly similar to this pair, but are most likely French. (see 'photos).
During this period (Empire in France; Georgian in the UK), there was a lot of overlap between French and Sicilian jewelry.

Marks and Metal: We tested a number of places with acid and electronically and got different results in different parts of the earrings. 10k-11k.

Condition: Good with negligible wear commensurate with age. Please see enlarged pictures and don't hesitate to ask questions which we will do our best to answer.