How should I describe these earrings?  Do they have a "swirl,'" "twist" or "spiral" form? Or, do they simply, have a "curve," "curl," or "bend" in them?

I'm not at all certain of the words to use. What I am certain of is that the earrings are very sculptural. 

And, that is very important to me. Indeed, as anyone who has read any of my other listings knows, I consider that, perhaps, to be the most important characteristic in a pair of earrings.

Scandinavian artisans - and Finnish artisans, in particular - have a special word for this quality - "veistocksellisuus."

I'm told that the closest translation in English is 'sculpuralness' or 'sculpturality,' but neither of these words actually appears in an English dictionary.  And, there is no other accepted English-language word to describe the 'quality of being sculptural.'

No matter.  Whether or not we have coined a discrete word to describe it, we clearly value the quality.  All you need to do to confirm this is to search on eBay, among vintage sterling silver eartings, for those with a "swirl," "loop," "spiral," "twist," "curl," "curve," or "bend" or other "sculptural" feature.

Your search will return a veritable slew of listings. And, the earrings featured in many of them will be very, very beautiful.

So, what distinguishes the earrings listed here from many of the other listings you will retrieve?  There are three things, in my opinion.

First of all, in creating these earrings, the artisan has utilized more than one plane.  You would be surprised how many artists don't do that. You would be surprised how many incorporate a swirl, a twist or a spiral into their work, but confine their creativity to one plane.  (Another artist who takes advantage of multiple planes is Patricia von Musulin. Check out the eBay listings for her "swirl earrings." They're beautiful.)

Second, because the earrings listed here are asymmetric in addition to being 3-dimensiional, they are surprisingly versatile. They can be worn in at least two distinct ways, perhaps three. 

Third, in addition to utilizing space in an interesting fashion, the artisan has also utilized an interesting  "split design technique" in these earrings:  dividing the silver in two at a couple of points and drawing one part out into a wire. Then, later reattaching the wire to the main body of the earring. If you examine the photos closely, you will see what I mean.

There are several Mexican artists who, in my opinion, use this technique to exquisite effect ... often using the wire they create to outline or describe a design on the main body of the earring.  A. and R. Cazares are masters in this respect.  Two others who appear to use this style occasionally - again, to great effect - are Hilario Lopez and Felipe Martinez.

There are also several Native American artists who appear to utilize the style on occasion.  I would recommend the work of one of them in particular to you: Chris Charley.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that Patricia von Musulin or A. Cazares or Hilario Lopez or Chris Charley made the earrings listed here. I very much doubt it  To the best of my knowledge, these artists always signed their work. 

The earrings featured here are unsigned. They have no name, no initials, and no hallmark on them.  Indeed, they don't even have a mark, indicating the country in which they were made.  All they have is a mark, reading "925," signifying the earrings are made of sterling silver.

There are lots of reasons, of course, why an artist might not sign his or her creations: Something could be made early in an artist's career before he or she has entered the marketplace.  An item could have been made for a family member or loved one to wear, and not have been intended for the marketplace.  Or, my favorite reason of all: the reason my father, who was a graphic artist, didn't sign most of his work.

He felt that his artistic style was his signature. No other signature was needed. The addition of a name, initials or a logo was, thus,  superfluous and out of place.

So, at least for me, the absence of an artist's name or initials from a piece of art does not in any way detract from the beauty of the work. To the contrary, it adds an element of mystery.

Approximate Measurements Of The Earrings Listed Here:

Drop Length: 1 1/2 inches

Total Length (of Silver Ribbon): 2 1/2 inches

Width (or Depth from front of earring to back): 7/8th in.

Width of Ribbon or Band:. 3/8th in. at widest part.