Berlin Iron Cupid & Psyche Earrings
Once upon a time there were three princesses. The eldest two were lovely enough to be admired everywhere, but the youngest was so entirely beautiful that many in the kingdom gave up the cult of Aphrodite and worshipped the young girl instead... and her name was Psyche. Aphrodite, as a vengeful and jealous goddess, could bear no rivalry so summoned her son, Eros (or Cupid), and told him to use one of his arrows to make Psyche fall in love with a pig. Ever the dutiful son, Eros set off on his mission but as he drew his bow he accidentally scratched his arm on the tip of the arrow, gazed on Psyche, and fell madly in love with her. A long story then ensues, long and winding with many-a-plot-twist. A story that forms the foundation of many Western fairy tales, whereby Psyche is carried off to a magical castle with an invisible retinue to serve on her; jealous sisters; impossible tasks like sorting grains of rice... it's an excellent story, and well worth looking up. Stephen Fry's Mythos and Luna McNamara's Psyche and Eros are two excellent contemporary retellings.
A charming pair of Berlin Iron and steel earrings featured in Ginny Redington Dawes and Olivia Collings' wonderful book Georgian Jewellery: 1714-1830 (2007). Crafted in the neoclassical style depicting the Eternal Lovers: Cupid and Psyche. The two earrings show different scenes: in one, Cupid reaches up to catch Psyche; in the other he's caught her and cradles her close. The lovers are bordered by a ring of milled iron then a repeated scallop shell motif. The scallop shell is, of course, associated with Venus-Aphrodite, Cupid's mother, the goddess of Love.
The central panels are polished steel and the borders are black lacquered Berlin Iron. The backs are 18 carat gold French lever-backs with French assay marks.
Berlin Iron is a kind of black lacquer over cast iron that originated in Prussia in the 1790s. 1810 saw the death of Queen Louise of Prussia at the age of 34, she was a young and beautiful and much loved queen known for taking a stand against Napoleon (who was on the rampage around Europe), and Berlin Iron becomes commemorative of her. It became hugely popular in Prussia as an expression of Prussian patriotism, and this popularity was capitalised upon by the Prussian Treasury's I Gave Gold For Iron campaign, used in 1813 to encourage women to donate their gold to fund the war effort. Gold jewellery was exchanged for Berlin Iron jewellery, and wearing the latter became the ultimate display of patriotism.
Early Berlin Iron pieces were big and chunky, following the contemporary trends of neoclassicism, but by the 1810s fashions began to change and they took on a more delicate, naturalistic flavour incorporating flowers and foliate motifs. By the 1820s, however, the medium really came into its own by incorporating elements from the gothic revival that mimicked gothic architecture and its symbolism.
Era: Georgian, circa 1815
Size: 22.0mm by 17.1mm
Marks: French marks for 18ct gold, tested as Berlin Iron
Condition: Great antique condition; the gold backs are assumed slightly later additions
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Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain).
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[Last updated: 28th February 2026]
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Condition
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