Triple 18ct Gold-Plated Sculptural Clip Earrings
 
There is something deeply aristocratic about the restraint of this design. Not loud. Not chaotic. Just exquisitely sculpted gold work with movement, proportion, and confidence.
The earrings begin with a domed circular form - almost resembling a sunburst shell or pleated couture silk gathered into a perfect rosette. The fluted ridges radiate outward with remarkable symmetry, catching light from every angle in that unmistakable old Monet gold finish - rich, buttery, and warm in tone, far removed from the flatter gold plating often seen today.
 
Suspended beneath are two articulated tassel drops, beautifully engineered to move independently with the wearer. That articulation is what elevates the craftsmanship. Rather than being static, the tassels sway gently with the neck and jawline, creating a soft kinetic elegance when worn. Even the tassels themselves are intricately ribbed, echoing the fluted shell motif above, giving the entire piece continuity and harmony in design.
The proportions are exceptionally balanced at 4.5 cm height x 2.5 cm width - substantial enough to feel commanding, yet refined enough to remain elegant rather than overwhelming.
 
And then, at the back - the revered Monet copyright signature.
 
Founded in America in the 1920s, Monet became one of the most respected names in luxury costume jewellery history. What collectors particularly admire about Monet is not merely the aesthetic, but the engineering. Their pieces were known for extraordinary finishing, durable gold plating, comfort-focused wearability, and meticulous construction techniques that modern mass production rarely prioritises anymore.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Monet perfected this rich triple gold-plating technique that gave their jewellery an almost fine-jewellery appearance and longevity. Many collectors today specifically seek vintage Monet because the old manufacturing standards - thicker plating, heavier castings, and detailed finishing - became commercially expensive and increasingly rare as fashion jewellery production shifted toward fast manufacturing models.
 
Monet still exists today under corporate ownership, but collectors overwhelmingly pursue the older archival pieces - particularly signed vintage works from the mid-century through 1980s eras - because the craftsmanship, weight, and finishing are considered superior to much contemporary costume production.
 
These earrings embody precisely that golden era.
One can imagine them worn in a softly lit hotel ballroom in Milan in the late 1980s… paired with sculpted ivory silk, a glass of champagne held elegantly at the wrist, hair swept back to reveal the movement of the tassels. Or perhaps now - decades later - worn by a modern woman in a sharply tailored cream blazer, vintage gold watch, hair slicked into a low bun, walking through Mayfair or South Kensington with an ease that cannot be manufactured.
 
They are not trend-driven earrings.
They are the kind a woman reaches for once she has developed her own eye, her own taste, and her own presence.
 
Styling Suggestions for the Modern Collector
• Pair with an ivory silk shirt or structured black dress for a powerful old-money silhouette.
• Wear with slicked-back hair or a clean low bun to allow the articulation and gold work to fully reveal themselves.
• Beautiful with cream tailoring, chocolate browns, deep black, or monochrome dressing.
• They work exceptionally well alone - no necklace required. The earrings themselves become the focal architecture of the look.
• Equally striking for gallery evenings, elegant dinners, or elevated daytime dressing.
Most modern jewellery attempts to imitate luxury.
Pieces like this came from an era when luxury was still being properly crafted.
 
 
- c.1980s; 
- MONET (copyright signed)
- 18 ct triple gold plated gilt metal
- In excellent vintage condition. No defect or damage or damage. Please see close up video for quality assurance.
- Measures: 4.2 cm height x 2.5 cm wide 
- Sourced from London, England.