Vintage Find: Strawberry Earrings
My latest vintage find are these charming and whimsical strawberry earrings that were sold by Avon in the 1990s. During my research to discover the origin of these earrings, I found that fruit themed jewelry has existed for centuries. Gold jewelry from Ancient Greece included carvings of fruits and flowers. Artisans from the Renaissance period in Europe used enameling techniques, like champlevé and cloisonné, with precious stones, like rubies, emeralds and sapphires, to create jewelry with colorful motifs of fruits and flowers. Famous jewelers from the Art Deco period of the 1920s, like Cartier and Trifari , began designing colorful jewelry inspired by designs from the East. This style of jewelry assembled bright and colorful gemstones in fruit-like designs that is now fondly described as "Fruit Salad" or "Tutti Frutti" jewelry. During the 1980s and 1990s, fruit salad jewelry experienced a revival with contemporary designers drawing inspiration from the past. ...