VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Tourbillons Filigree Diamond Earrings

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Tourbillons Filigree Diamond Earrings in 18k Yellow Gold.

An eminent pair of retro filigree earrings by Van Cleef & Arpels dating from 1945. Twisted wire is hand fabricated and voluminously formed into a floral centrifuge, with diamonds contouring a crescent shape and centered with a floret pistil. This assemblage of metals and diamonds would soon be known as the Maison's 'Tourbillons'. First drawings of the developed style, also known as 'Whirls', date from 1948 when the openwork of these earrings were replaced by solid forms of polished gold. The filigree look in these particular on-the-ear clips are emblematic of Van Cleef & Arpels's earlier designs of the decade when lace and passementerie in metal were ubiquitous. Therefore, they are a noteworthy adornment exhibiting the transition and evolution of the Maison into the next decade of design.

Diamond weight approx. 4.00 carats total. Measures approx. 1.15" in length, 1.25" in width, 0.35" in height. Ear clips are currently for non-pierced ears, however, posts can be added for pierced ears.

Numbered and Signed "Van Cleef & Arpels NY"; circa 1945.