Magnificent Catalan Garnet and Gold Earrings, c. 1800

Some jewellery fashions have become international, especially since the age of the first globalization, while others have long been characteristic of certain regions. The latter include the "arracades d'arengada", known as "herring earrings" due to their shape. This type of earring emerged in the 18th century, but did not achieve its greatest popularity until the early 19th century and was worn as traditional costume jewellery, first in Catalonia and then throughout Spain until the late 19th century. This pair of earrings is a representative of this type. Countless table-cut and rose-cut garnets adorn the luminous, magnificently textured gold. They are set in a closed setting over foils and change between a deep glowing red and a slightly violet hue depending on the incidence of light. Typically, the earrings are made up of three parts: the upper parts can be worn on their own for everyday wear; if you want to be a little more festive, the bottom part can be attached to the top part; and for a truly opulent look, the butterfly-shaped middle part complements the two. A very similar pair, also with an estimated date of origin in the late 18th or early 19th century, is illustrated in Daniela Mascetti/Amanda Trossi: Earrings from Antiquity to the Present (Thames & Hudson, 1991), p. 61. Due to the traditional appearance and workmanship of this type of earring, it is usually not possible to date them more precisely.

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