We all know by now that vintage jewellery, from Old Mine cut diamonds to cluster rings, is back. And Meghan Markle is just one high-profile jewellery lover who has demonstrated not just a penchant for the trend but a longstanding love affair with vintage pieces. At her wedding reception, she paid homage to Princess Diana, wearing her late mother-in-law’s emerald-cut aquamarine cocktail ring. And later that year she dipped into Princess Diana’s collection once again, wearing one of her gold and sapphire cuffs. Princess Diana’s tennis bracelet occasionally makes an appearance on Meghan’s wrist, as does her gold Cartier Tank. Suffice to say, Meghan has no qualms with taking her jewellery cues from yesteryear.
It came as no surprise, then, to learn that the striking, Art Deco-inspired doorknocker earrings Meghan wore for an official visit to the Lost Screen Memorial at the European Parliament were a genuine vintage pair by Christian Dior. “These are pieces of costume jewellery, rather than fine jewellery”, clarifies Sydney jeweller Tarick K’dor of House of K’dor. “They are made with a gold-plated base metal and feature black enamel detail with pavé crystals encrusting the top of the earring”. Costume jewellery is a style of jewellery that was popular between the 1920s and 1980s, often created by luxury maisons; it featured bold designs and colours, at more affordable price points than high jewellery lines, and has since become prized collectors’ pieces.
Photograph: (Getty Images)
The style is typical of the costume jewellery Dior made in the 1980s, characterised by weighty silhouettes, enamel (often in primary colours like red and blue, emulating cabochons) and crystals. Though 60 years after the Art Deco period, the jewellery of the ’80s often took its cues from the era’s preference for bold, geometric lines and high-contrast colour palettes — like, in the case of Meghan’s earrings, black enamel against bright pavé crystals.
Meghan’s choice to opt for a vintage pair of earrings over something more contemporary is symptomatic of jewellery’s return to the styles of yore. During the spring/summer 2027 season, the runways were awash with bold, statement-making jewellery that took inspiration from bygone eras — at Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello’s chandelier earrings took cues from the Baroque period, while Art Deco peppered the necklaces and pendant earrings at Chanel.
Take one look at resale platforms like The RealReal, eBay and Etsy, and you’ll see vintage jewellery — especially of the flashy, 1980s variety — is in high demand. Cocktail rings studded with gems like topaz and amethyst are hot property, as are ornate brooches and swinging pendant necklaces. Take your cues from the Duchess: it’s time to go big. With your earrings, that is.
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