Gold-Tone Teardrop Dangle Earrings with Cat's Eye Glass and Rhinestones

A pair of decorative dangle earrings featuring a gold-tone metal base with a lever-back or hook fastening. Each earring showcases a central synthetic cat's eye or moonstone-style glass cabochon, identifiable by its milky, chatoyant reflection. The cabochon is seated within a teardrop-shaped metal frame that curls around the stone. Below the central stone, the frame is accented with a pave-style arrangement of clear round-cut rhinestones or crystals, likely glass or cubic zirconia. An additional larger clear stone is set at the pivot point between the hook and the dangle. The metal has a bright polished yellow gold finish, though there is visible surface wear and slight dulling on the hooks, suggesting they are gold-plated or costume-grade base metal. The construction appears to be machine-cast, typical of late 20th-century or contemporary fashion jewelry. There are no immediate maker's marks visible on the front or the side of the settings. The pair is displayed on a white cardboard retail tag with an orange circular sticker, indicating they may be secondhand or thrifted. Stylistically, they draw inspiration from Art Nouveau organic forms but with a modern mass-market execution.

Based on my visual examination of these gold-tone teardrop dangle earrings, I have identified them as contemporary fashion or 'costume' jewelry. The earrings feature synthetic chatoyant glass (cat’s eye effect) and clear rhinestones set in a non-precious gold-plated base metal. The construction is indicative of mass-produced, machine-cast techniques common in the late 20th to early 21st century. I observed visible surface wear on the ear wires and slight dulling of the finish, which is typical for gold-plated mystery metals. The absence of maker’s marks suggests an unbranded manufacturer for the mass retail market. The market for unbranded costume jewelry is currently saturated, with high supply and low rarity. Comparables found in secondary markets such as thrift stores or online resale platforms typically sell in this price range. Factors limiting the value include the use of synthetic materials rather than genuine gemstones and the lack of a designer hallmark (e.g., Monet, Trifari, or Napier). Limitations: My assessment is based solely on digital images. Without an in-person inspection, I cannot verify the base metal composition via acid testing or determine if the larger stones are glass or a high-grade polymer. A physical examination under 10x magnification would be required to rule out the presence of micro-stamps on the findings and to confirm the setting style of the pave stones. No provenance documentation was provided, however, the retail tag further confirms their status as a non-luxury, secondhand consumer item.