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Monet Mid 1970s Black Lucite & Gold-Tone Door-Knocker Clip Earrings

$32.00 Only one available

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1970s Gold-Tone, Lucite Very Good
JWLE-VR-0006
A sophisticated find from one of America's most beloved costume jewelry houses. These signed Monet clip-on earrings feature a polished black lucite cabochon perched above a sculptural gold-tone crescent hoop in the classic door-knocker silhouette. Dating to the mid-1970s, their refined proportions and clean modernist geometry set them apart from the oversized versions that followed in the next decade. Black and gold never goes out of style. Highlights
  • Signed Monet on clip hardware
  • Black lucite spherical cabochon over open crescent hoop
  • Gold-tone metal with warm patina
  • Clip-on backs — no piercing required
  • Circa mid-1970s
Condition: Very Good. High-gloss black lucite is intact with no chips, cracks, or scratches. Both earrings are well-matched. Gold-tone clip hardware shows only minor surface wear consistent with age. Clips are functional.
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Monet Mid 1970s Black Lucite & Gold-Tone Door-Knocker Clip Earrings

Circa mid 1970s

1970s American Costume Jewelry, Door-Knocker Silhouette

Monet is one of the great names of twentieth-century American costume jewelry. The company was founded in 1929 by brothers Michael and Jay Chernow in Providence, Rhode Island — originally as a monogramming business called Monocraft, producing monogrammed handbag initials — and reinvented itself as a jewelry house in 1937 under the Monet name. What set Monet apart from the crowded mid-century costume jewelry field was a commitment to construction quality that rivaled fine jewelry houses: heavier base metals, better platings, and in particular a proprietary clip-earring mechanism they patented in 1946, the "Barrel Clip," that was widely considered the most comfortable and reliable clip back on the market.

By the 1970s, Monet had grown into one of the most widely sold American costume jewelry brands, available in every major department store. The decade's design sensibility was moving away from the figural and the delicate and toward the bold, sculptural, and architectural — geometric shapes, bigger forms, confident color blocking. Monet adapted, and pieces like this earring pair are a textbook example: a classic door-knocker silhouette rendered in the mid-decade's more restrained proportions, before the 1980s pushed the same design toward maximalist drama. The high-gloss Lucite sphere was very much a seventies material moment — bold, modern, and plastic-forward in the confident way that decade handled plastic as a legitimate design material rather than a cheap substitute for something else. The black-and-gold combination never went out of style, which is part of why signed Monet pieces like this continue to move reliably in the vintage market.

Materials Gold-tone plated base metal with crescent hoop form, high-gloss black Lucite spherical cabochon, signed Monet on clip hardware, clip-on backs (no piercing required)
Care Wipe with a soft dry cloth after wearing. No silver polish or jewelry dip on plating. Keep solvents away from the Lucite — acetone will cloud or melt it. Store in a soft pouch.
From the Research Archives
vintagerose.us Catalog No. JWLE-VR-0006 • March 2026

Specifications

Dimensions
N/A
Weight
0.2 lbs
SKU
JWLE-VR-0006
Few names carry more weight in vintage American costume jewelry than Monet. Founded in the early twentieth century, the house built a decades-long reputation for quality construction, refined design, and pieces that genuinely stood the test of time. These striking clip-on earrings are a lovely example of Monet at their most sculptural and self-assured. The design is a classic door-knocker silhouette — a smooth, high-gloss black lucite spherical cabochon sits above a chunky open crescent hoop, all rendered in warm gold-tone metal. The contrast of deep gloss black against gold is effortlessly sophisticated, a combination that has never gone out of style and looks as fresh today as it did when these were new. We date these to the mid-1970s, circa 1974–1979. The proportions tell the story: where the 1980s would push the door-knocker earring toward maximalist, oversized drama, these have a more restrained and balanced silhouette. The ball-to-hoop ratio is refined rather than exaggerated, and the clean crescent form speaks to the modernist jewelry aesthetics of the mid-seventies. The high-gloss lucite treatment was very much a 1970s material moment — bold but controlled, sculptural without excess. The Monet signature is clearly stamped on the clip hardware, a mark of authenticity that collectors actively seek out. Monet's clip mechanisms were known for their quality, and these remain functional after nearly fifty years. Door-knocker earrings are enjoying a genuine resurgence in fashion right now, making this an ideal moment to add a signed vintage pair to your collection or jewelry box. Whether styled with a crisp blazer, a simple black turtleneck, or something modern and minimal for contrast, these earrings make a quiet but confident statement. Details
  • Signed Monet on clip hardware
  • Black lucite spherical cabochon over open crescent hoop
  • Gold-tone metal
  • Clip-on backs — no piercing required
  • Door-knocker silhouette
  • Circa mid-1970s (1974–1979)
Condition: Very Good. The high-gloss black lucite finish on both earrings is intact — no chips, cracks, or scratches visible. The earrings present as a well-matched pair. Gold-tone clip hardware shows only minor surface wear consistent with age and light use. Clips are functional. As with all vintage clip mechanisms, we recommend testing the tension against your ear before extended wear.

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