22k Straits Peranakan Earrings

Early to mid-century Straits Chinese dangle earrings set with diamonds weighing 2ctw in 22k.

A special pair with diamonds at the ears and the rest light as feather.

These ‘wind chime’ designs are Chinese-Indian-Malay earrings, though an earlier period piece, hence the organic ‘mishmash’ and so seldom seen.

These earrings dangle as if feathered in gold, hence there is plenty of movement even where you can’t feel its presence.

Yet it is this delivery that is difficult today – making gold sheet-like and having only texture and light to make the jewelry what it is.

The diamond cluster is an illusive three-tiered ‘hive’. That’s why being small, at only 1cm, the studs feel so much bigger, and without the look of ‘beady’ diamonds.

The compact ‘hive’ arrangement gives the cluster a flatness, and in turn a rather modern aura when looking at it or wearing it.

These cluster studs are distinct from later pairs – the ‘retro’ pairs tend to have bigger prong work and fewer diamonds in the same space. That’s one way we distinguish ‘antique’ and ‘vintage’ in these Straits Chinese cluster studs.

This is a very feminine style of Straits Chinese earrings, a reminder that colonial East-West has a quaint, recognisable look, however few they remain.

The earrings are 5cm long and 1.5cm widest.