Spectacular and rare vintage 1970s pair of Ilias Lalaounis earrings / ear clips in the form of a stylized Sparta / Spartan disc shield. Each earring crafted in the ancient technique of hand hammered 22 karat yellow gold. The 22K gold content was tested though hallmarked 750 as if 18K gold due to some Greek export regulatons. This was a common practice with vintage Lalaounis pieces. The round ear clips with a diameter of about 20mm (0.8") and having a gross weight of 12 grams in 22K yellow gold. Both earrings bear the Lalaounis maker's mark at their clasps, marked Greece, as well as Greek A21 control mark. Scarce and rare vintage jewelry collector pair and one of the rare Lalaounis earrings and jewels in general.

Sparta was one of the most important Greek city-states throughout the Archaic and Classical periods and was famous for its military prowess. The professional and well-trained Spartan hoplites with their distinctive red cloaks, long hair, and lambda-emblazoned shields were probably the best and most feared fighters in Greece, fighting with distinction at such key battles as Thermopylae and Plataea in the early 5th century BCE. In Greek mythology the founder of the city was Lacedaemon, a son of Zeus, who gave his name to the region and his wife’s name to the city. Sparta was also an important member of the Greek force which participated in the Trojan War. Indeed, the Spartan king Menelaus instigated the war after the Trojan prince Paris abducted his wife Helen, offered to Paris by the goddess Aphrodite as a prize for choosing her in a beauty contest with fellow goddesses Athena and Hera. Helen was said to have been the most beautiful woman in Greece and Spartan women in general enjoyed a reputation not only for good looks but also spirited independence. Most notably related to Sparta and the War of Troy was the hero Achilles, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and who is the central character of Homer's Iliad. 

Ilias Lalaounis (b. 1920), was born into a family of Goldsmiths and watchmakers, joining the family business, Zolotas, in 1940. As a fourth generation jeweller, Lalaounis has earned a reputation for creating luxurious gold jewellery that offers a unique interpretation of ancient civilisation translated into a modern idiom. Lalaounis' unique aesthetic is inspired by influences as diverse as the Neolithic, Mycenaean, and Byzantine styles, while his creations are founded on a revival of ancient Greek jewellery techniques. In 1969, Ilias Lalaounis pursued an independent enterprise, and his eponymous company was founded as a separate entity. The new company produced a collection every six months, with each collection consisting of about 150 pieces in both 18 and 22K gold. Lalaounis's regular use of pure gold helped to distinguish his work, and soon branches were expanded through Europe and in cities throughout the world, including New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. He founded the Greek Jewelers' Association and exhibited his first collection, the Archaeological Collection, at the Thessaloniki International Fair in 1957. It was inspired by Classical, Hellenistic and Minoan Mycenaean art.

Lalaounis provoked a sensation with his collection Blow Up (1970), draping the human body in gold jewelry inspired by Minoan civilization. The following year he organized an international exhibition of jewelry in Athens, joined by Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Rene Kern and Harry Winston. In 1976, he had one of his most important commissions which would prove to be one of the most inspiring for his portfolio. Empress Farah of Iran commissioned Lalaounis to create a collection of jewelry and objects inspired by Persian art, which went on display at the Imperial Palace in Tehran.

In 1993, the company's workshops were moved to new, purpose-built facilities while the building was altered to house a jewellery museum. Today the Ilias Lalaounis Museum's permanent collection includes over 4000 pieces of jewellery and micro sculptures from over 50 collections designed by the museum's founder between 1940 and 2000. Although Lalaounis has received many prizes for his art, the most noteworthy honour was bestowed by the French Academy of Fine Arts in 1990; Lalaounis remains the only jeweller ever to be elected as a member of the Academy.

Please, kindly bear in mind that due to several business locations that we occupy within the EU, some of our items could be shipped from alternative European member state, but in no case this would affect the shipping, handling and delivery times, nor it will affect in any sense the quality and appearance of the items purchased and delivered.