Etruscan Revival Victorian Carriage Covers Coach Covers Earrings 21k gold (7581)

Antique Victorian Etruscan Revival carriage covers or coach covers for earrings. 21k gold. Made in the USA, circa 1870-1880's.
Come in an antique fitted cardboard box.  
 

Measurements:

Weight is 4.5 grams. Diameter is approximately 13mm. 

Description :

Coach or Carriage covers were an American innovation to cover a ladie's earrings while travelling or during the day when she did not want to draw potential robbers' attention to her valuable earrings. They are little round cases that cover the most valuable part of the earring. Small openings proved space for the wires of the earrings. Round shaped with Etruscan Revival filigree and granulation on the outside. The filigree and granulation are very beautifully done with minute detail that is barely visible to the naked eye, but indicates the care and attention that went into making these beautiful jewels. Tiny thumb pieces, one placed on either side of the opening help to open the covers. Hinged on the opposite side. Click closed with ease and stay securely closed. 
We bought these coach covers nestled in an antique cardboard fitted box with silk lined bottoms in the twin compartments for holding the carriage covers and will past it on to the new owner.

Marks and Metal:

 Gold was electronically tested as 21k. Engraved Roman numerals on hinges. 
     

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.   

THE STORY:  

'About Old Jewelry' by C. Jeanenne Bell tells us : Coach covers, alternately called carriage covers or opera covers, date to the period in jewelry history when the ears were no longer considered unattractive and with the hair worn back, earrings became fashionable again.  Hats, often described as bonnets, were also smaller during this period, allowing earrings to be seen more readily.
Diamond earrings were popular during the mid to late 1800s, and women of means usually had a pair in their jewelry wardrobe. As they have been for centuries, the stones were highly valuable. Coach covers were often worn to conceal these types of earrings for safety. For instance, a lady might don a pair of coach covers while on the way to an event. After exiting her carriage and safely entering the venue, she would then remove the covers. 
However, diamonds were usually reserved for evening wear. Coach covers could be employed for a more conventional look when traveling during the day and then removed for a nighttime soiree or when attending a theatrical event like an opera. 
Coach or Carriage covers are one of the few American innovations in the world of jewelry. On the rare occasion that we find coach covers, we assume that they were made in the USA. 

The book Jewelry in America 1600 - 1900 by Martha Gandy Fales has a double-paged section (page 312-313) on carriage covers, explaining how and why they came about (as above) and various patents taken out for these innovations.