Vintage Henry Dunay Hammered Yellow Gold Door-Knocker Earclips

A pair of Henry Dunay door-knocker earrings in 18k yellow gold, each built in two parts: a ridged dome surmount that suspends a larger open heart-shaped drop swinging freely from it in the classic door-knocker manner. Both elements are deeply channeled with parallel ribs that wrap and twist around the form, the gold finished in Dunay's signature hand-hammered texture so that every raised surface is faceted with tiny planished facets that throw off a lively, broken light rather than a flat polish. The ribs of the heart drop sweep up and cross at the base into a pointed tail, giving the piece strong sculptural volume and movement while the openwork center keeps it light on the ear. The combination of bold scale, fluid ribbing, and the textured bright gold is characteristic of Dunay's work. It is a simple and elegant piece, that plays with the light extremely well with its carved sections to hammered sections. This piece is easily worn, and would look especially good for evening wear, looking extremely attractive from a far because of the unique texture of the gold. It is an easy conversation starter as you can easily recongize that this isn't a simple door knocker earring, it is more special because of its vintage look, interesting shape and form, and silky smooth ability to swing back and forth, catching all the light (and eyes).

Henry Dunay (1935–2023) was an American jewelry designer who trained in New York from age 14 and founded his own firm in 1956. He is best known for his signature "Sabi" finish, a finely hand-etched, faceted gold texture inspired by Japanese wabi-sabi. Over fifty years he won more than 50 awards, including four Diamond International awards, and designed for clients from Neiman Marcus to Elizabeth Taylor.