Vintage Black Glass Drop Earrings

Vintage Black Glass Drop Earrings

A pair of drop earrings centred on a glossy black cabochon glass stone, surrounded by gold laurel motifs, small flowers, and tiny clear stones. An openwork ornament at the top connects to a lower section where the stone and floral motifs swing gently in two tiers, light and shadow shifting quietly with every movement at the ear.

These earrings belong to the lineage of German and Austrian glass jewellery descended from the tradition of Gablonz in old Bohemia. The black glass holds a deep sheen reminiscent of onyx, its polished surface drawing in surrounding light like a mirror. The laurel and floral design comes from the classical European decorative lineage, and the contrast between gold and black gives a quiet sense of formality to the whole outfit.

Black glass shows expressions that gemstones cannot. It glistens with a smooth shimmer in the morning light, sinks into a deep darkness under the late afternoon slant, and merges with the gold's gleam beneath the evening lamp into something more dramatic. A piece that shows you a different face many times across a single day.

A pierced drop style with just enough weight and movement. Worn against a simple black knit or dress, it becomes the centrepiece of the outfit. Particularly beautiful with hair worn up, or with a blouse that opens at the neckline.

There is light wear on the detailing from age, and very minor signs of use on the earring posts, but the overall condition is good.

Material: Glass stones / Gold-tone metal / Clear stones

Size: Approx. 3.5cm (H) × 1.8cm (W)

Weight: Approx. 6.5g

Sourced in: Australia

Era: 1970s-80s

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~ Glass ~

The old Bohemian glassmakers' town of Gablonz — a story of light I have long been drawn to.

Glass shifts its expression depending on where it is placed, the light it catches, the season, the hour of the day. Translucent in the morning light, with a small flame lit deep inside under the late afternoon slant, becoming someone entirely different beneath candlelight at night.

Once within the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in what is now northern Czech Republic, there was a town called Gablonz. From the 19th to early 20th century, it was the world's centre of glass jewellery — not as solemn as fine gemstones, never cheap, holding that exquisite middle ground that captivated women across the world.

With the end of the Second World War, the German glassmakers of this land moved to Bavaria and built a new town. The land was lost, but the craft survived. Many of the glass jewellery pieces I find today in the markets and dealers of Germany and Austria are the most recent chapter of this long story.