Carved Bone and Gold-Tone Metal Earrings

This pair of vintage clip-on or screw-back earrings features carved organic material, likely bone or a similar ivory-substitute, depicting smiling figures resembling Budai or laughing Buddhas. The carved elements exhibit a creamy off-white coloration with subtle natural grain lines and faint dark striations, showing minor surface aging and patina. Each carving is securely mounted within a polished gold-tone metal bezel featuring a distinctive twisted rope or braided wire edge detailing. The metal displays a warm yellow-gold hue, though no hallmarks, maker's marks, or stamps are visibly legible in the photograph to confirm the exact metal composition or purity. The overall construction suggests mid-20th-century costume jewelry craftsmanship, consistent with Asian-export novelty pieces popular during the mid-century period. The identification is based entirely on visual observation of the materials and subject matter, as there are no visible signatures or maker's marks to reference. Condition appears generally good with light wear appropriate for age, though unverified.

Based on what I can see in the photograph, this pair of vintage clip-on or screw-back earrings appears to feature carved organic material, possibly bone or an ivory substitute, depicting smiling figures resembling Budai or laughing Buddhas, mounted in polished gold-tone metal bezels with twisted rope detailing. I cannot verify from a photo whether the carved elements are genuine bone or a synthetic resin, nor can I confirm the exact metal composition due to the lack of visible hallmarks or maker's marks. A physical inspection would be needed to confirm these material details and to test the metal purity. The estimated value range of $75 to $150 reflects the assumption that the materials are as visually suggested and consistent with mid-20th-century Asian-export costume jewelry. Mid-century novelty costume jewelry featuring carved figural motifs generally attracts moderate collector interest, though values remain modest. If the pieces were to turn out to be modern reproductions, synthetic copies, or mass-produced tourist replicas rather than mid-century pieces, the value would likely decrease to the $25 to $50 range. To establish a more precise valuation and address questions of attribution, material composition, and exact age, physical examination by a specialist, hallmark verification if any were found internally, and potentially scientific testing of the carved material would be required.