Georgian Black Dot Paste Rivière Earrings

The Story:

A Georgian Black Dot Paste Rivière strand arrived as a piece too short to be a necklace and too long to be a bracelet--our response? Sweet and petite Georgian Rivière post earrings--the perfect old-world sparkle for anyone.

Each earring is comprised of a 15k gold and sterling silver setting on a gold post that holds a cushion cut paste stone. They measure just over .25" in height and .25" in width.

This gorgeous antique accessory pairs perfectly with the Georgian Black Dot Paste Rivière Pendant.

THE STORY OF PASTE STONES:

These Georgian stones hailing from the 1700s still maintain their special luster and sparkle--even more than 200 years after their creation. The Kimberly mines of South Africa weren't discovered until 1869-71--with diamonds not as accessible or commonly in circulation, jewelers resorted to making their own "Paste" stones as a more common and cost effect alternative to diamonds. These stones were handmade from a crystal compound and polished with metal powder until it shimmered like a gemstone. Paste accessories were the most sought after jewelry of the Georgian era of the 1700s.

In the 18th century, jeweler Georg Friedrich Strass improved on the look of the faux diamonds by coating the lower side of lead glass with metal powder (In many European languages rhinestones are still called “strass” in Georg's honor). In 1730, Strass opened a factory to make his artificial gemstones and by 1734, he received the title “Royal Jeweler.”

The style was for stones to be set with as little visible metal as possible — just a mass of gemstones. This was nearly impossible with real diamonds — they were just too hard to cut and set without visible metals, but pastes are softer and can be cut so that each stone fits perfectly next to one another. It wasn’t necessarily an easy task. Many jewelers who worked in paste were more skilled than their natural gemstone counterparts. That level of craftsmanship contributed to the appreciation for pastes.