Vintage cloisonné clip-on earrings featuring a butterfly and floral motif

Vintage cloisonné clip-on earrings featuring a butterflY and floral motif. The pieces utilize the traditional cloisonné enamel technique where thin metal wires create individual compartments filled with vitreous enamel paste and fired. This particular type of clip-on mechanism-featuring a paddle back hinge with a distinct horseshoe or cloverleaf shape at the top window--was primarily produced and used from the late 1950s through the 1990s. Peak Popularity: The classic hinge-and-paddle design took over the jewelry industry in the 1960s and 1970s as a more comfortable alternative to older, tighter screw-backs. Luxury Use: High-end couture fashion houses- most notably Chanel- heavily favored this exact horseshoe-topped paddle- back finding style for their chunky runway costume jewelry throughout the 1980s and 1990s.