In the 1780s and 1790s when hair started to get VERY large, earrings followed suit!  In order for them not to be lost among the clouds of hair that were fashionable in this period, earrings started dropping lower to dangle far below the ears.  There was a particular trend of huge pearls dangling from equally huge hoops!

I was excited to find these vintage acrylic pearl beads which look a lot like the fake pearls of the 18th century, which were made from blown glass and coated in ground up fish scales to give them the proper pearlescent sheen (really!).  Luckily these are both fish-free and also more lightweight than their glass counterparts would be. 

These are LARGE earrings, measuring nearly 3" long.  The hoops are Gold-plated stainless steel for sensitive ears.   Note that the pearls are also removable should you care to wear these are plain hoops, which were also common starting in the 1780s.