A little swing, a little sway, a little statement in the making. In the expansive world of jewellery, some pieces are a proven way of injecting a decadent dose of drama. And they’ve been relied on to do so for years. Such just might be the case for the pretty little things we leave to hang on our ears: drop earrings.
The history of the drop earring is a tale as old as time. In one particular era, she was opulent as ever; romantic, even more so. The girandole—a 17th-century French design which sees a cluster of three distinct and usually pear-shaped pendants—feel like strokes of light-catching brilliance. Many antique designs were initially made from brass or bronze before being given a gilded finish or wash, but what added to the girandole‘s qualities were the various patterns—like florals, leaves or snowflakes—that each pair was designed with. Later iterations designed with precious diamonds to catch the soft, warm glow of candlelight are perhaps how the style assumed its more modern moniker: the chandelier.
And if these enchanting beauties feel hypnotising, it’s because they are. Mesmerising not just in their material and make, but how they move and swing when worn. There’s plenty of reason for the alluring design to make a timely return, and over the spring/summer 2026 season Saint Laurent was perhaps its biggest proponent on the catwalk. Models sauntered in severe black coats and voluminous jewel-tone gowns under the Paris night sky, each look burning brighter with the dramatic, stunning contrast of the Victorian-style girandole earrings the models wore.
As far as the history books go, another popular trend of the late 17th century making a return is the pearl drop style. Specifically, the style of wearing a single pearl earring as King Charles I of England or William Shakespeare might have. For a more modern interpretation, one might recall Harry Styles—a luminary in reinvigorating and popularising modern pearls—wearing a Gucci mono bee pearl earring to the Met Gala in 2019.
What of the celebrity front, you might ask? Make no mistake: the stars too have been giving the drop plenty of love. To complement their impossibly glamorous outfits, A-listers have been stepping out in drop earrings set with precious stones and diamonds that light up every corner of the red carpet. A formidable mention has to be Chase Infiniti’s divine Arpeggia earrings from De Beers London’s high jewellery collection. Crafted in white gold with five lines of diamonds on each side, it’s gorgeous enough that the actress has worn them twice in 2026, on the red carpets of both the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs.
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In truth, the world of drop earrings reaches far and wide. Precious pearls and colourful gems make for a great, dramatic vintage-style statement, but there’s a host of contemporary designs that are easier to wear. The most forward-looking, from runway collections and independent jewellery designers, tend to feature more sculptural elements and abstract influences. At Chloé’s fall/winter 2026 show, the Parisian label adopted the mono-earring trend with an intricately hollowed-out design that has both volume and lightness. Isabel Marant offered a best of both worlds, with rich rhinestone-studded designs as well as sleek, simple pairs. The drop earring style is also being influenced by the trend at the moment for colour and maximalism: playful designs of florals, ribbons and more dreamed up with bold volumes and in technicolour.
Each one invoking beauty, grace and effortless allure, the drop earring is proving once more that it can do it all and steal the show. We bid you take your pick.
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Girandoles: Saint Laurent spring/summer 2026
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Girandoles: Isabel Marant fall/winter 2026
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Girandoles: Ralph Lauren fall/winter 2026
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Saint Laurent crystal cross earrings in metal with resin, $5,950
Available at Saint Laurent.
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State Property Sanssouci Enchantress chandelier earrings in yellow gold with diamonds, emeralds and black spinels, price upon request
Available at State Property.
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Jacquie Aiche Sophia chandelier earrings in black rhodium-plated 14K yellow gold with diamonds, $26,900
Available at Jacquie Aiche.
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Sculptural, nebulous forms: Balenciaga fall/winter 2026
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Sculptural, nebulous forms: Carolina Herrera fall/winter 2026
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Sophie Buhai Long Phoenician onyx earrings, $1,420
Available at Sophie Buhai.
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Dinosaur Designs Dew Drop earrings in gold-tone metal with resin, $367
Available at Net-a-Porter.
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Pearls galore: Altuzarra fall/winter 2026
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Pearls galore: Laufey wearing David Yurman
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Pearls galore: Nina Ricci fall/winter 2026
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Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Titan by Pharrell Williams earrings in yellow gold with pearls and diamonds, $19,300
Available at Tiffany & Co.
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Mikimoto Moon Dew earrings in white gold and silver with Akoya pearls, price upon request
Available at Mikimoto.
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Pandora Essence drop earrings in 14K gold-plated silver with freshwater pearls, $295
Available at Pandora.
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Precious stones: Chase Infiniti wearing De Beers high jewellery
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Precious stones: Pamela Anderson wearing Pandora
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Precious stones: Kristen Bell wearing Sabyasachi high jewellery
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Chanel Eternal N°5 transformable earrings in white gold with diamonds, $53,300
Available at Chanel.
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Bvlgari Allegra earrings in rose gold set diamonds, pink tourmalines and amethysts, $40,600
Available at Bvlgari.
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De Beers London Arpeggia five line earrings in white gold with diamonds, $130,940
Available at De Beers.
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Long and dangling: Ralph Lauren fall/winter 2026
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Long and dangling: Richard Quinn fall/winter 2026
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Suzanne Kalan earrings in yellow gold with diamonds and emeralds, $35,346
Available at Net-a-Porter.
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Mindi Mond Dripping Diamond earrings in white gold with diamonds, $61,672
Available at Mindi Mond.
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Chloé amulet earrings in vintage gold-tone metal, $1,420
Available at Chloé.
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Colourful and maximalist: Roberto Cavalli fall/winter 2026
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Colourful and maximalist: Tory Burch fall/winter 2026
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Jennifer Behr Cosetta earrings in gold-plated metal with crystals, $836
Available at Net-a-Porter.
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Buccellati Opera Tulle pendant earrings in yellow gold with diamonds and green enamel, $21,000
Available at Buccellati.
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Irene Neuwirth earrings in yellow gold with turquoise and diamond, $13,111
Available at Net-a-Porter.
