Screw-back drop earrings in the Victorian Revival style

A pair of decorative gold-toned drop earrings featuring rectangular portrait pendants with scalloped, beaded edging. Each earring depicts a female bust in profile, wearing yellow attire against a muted greenish background. The portraits appear to be printed or painted onto a flat surface, possibly ceramic, glass, or composition, though the exact medium is unverified from the image. The pendants are suspended from screw-back findings, a mechanism commonly used in the mid-20th century to accommodate non-pierced ears. The metal appears to be a gold-colored alloy with some visible surface wear and minor tarnishing consistent with age. No maker's marks, metal purity stamps, or signatures are legible in the provided photograph, making specific brand or material identification impossible. The design is stylistically consistent with Victorian Revival costume jewelry from the mid-20th century (approximately 1940s-1960s), referencing Neo-Classical or Romantic aesthetics. The findings and construction suggest a commercial decorative quality rather than high jewelry. These items require physical testing to determine metal content and production techniques.

Based on the provided image, I have examined this pair of Victorian Revival screw-back drop earrings. Based on what I can see, the design, construction, and mechanical findings suggest they are commercial costume jewelry likely produced between the 1940s and 1960s. I cannot verify the exact composition of the 'portraits' from a photo, though they appear consistent with printed transfers on a substrate like glass or ceramic. The gold-toned metal exhibits surface wear and lacks visible purity hallmarks, leading me to treat it as a non-precious base metal alloy subject to physical testing. The value estimate is based on the assumption that these are mid-20th-century decorative pieces in the style of the Victorian era. The market demand for such items is generally stable among vintage costume jewelry collectors who value the Neo-Classical aesthetic. However, because there are no legible maker's marks, I am evaluating these as unattributed mass-market pieces. If these were found to bear a mark from a highly collectible period manufacturer like Trifari or Miriam Haskell, the value could increase significantly. Conversely, if the materials are confirmed to be modern plastic reproductions rather than vintage components, the value would likely drop below $15. To provide a more precise valuation, a physical inspection is required to test for metal content and determine the printing technique used for the busts. Documentation of provenance or the discovery of a manufacturer stamp during a professional cleaning would also clarify their market position. As it stands, the value reflects the decorative appeal and the typical secondary market performance for mid-century revivalist costume accessories.