A fabulous pair of Bill Schiffer wearable-art statement earrings, signed and dated 1988, featuring the bold color, playful abstraction and maximalist styling that made his jewelry so instantly recognizable.

Each earring is built around a curved abstract form densely embellished with an exuberant assortment of colorful rhinestones and decorative elements in saturated shades of red, blue, green, purple, orange, gold, turquoise and pink. The asymmetrical arrangement creates a wonderfully energetic surface that changes depending on the angle and light.

At nearly 2 inches tall and a substantial 20.5 grams for the pair, these have strong visual presence without being overwhelmingly large.

Metallic eyeshadow and excessive Aqua Net hairspray remain optional. 😂

The earrings have been professionally converted to pierced post backs and are fitted with sterling silver stems and butterfly backs. All rhinestones and decorative elements are present, secure and intact.

They remain in excellent vintage condition with only minor wear consistent with age.

A wonderfully colorful example of late-1980s New York wearable art, ideal for collectors of Bill Schiffer jewelry, postmodern design, maximalist fashion and bold statement earrings.

About Bill Schiffer

New York artist and jewelry designer Bill Schiffer began creating wearable art jewelry in the 1970s, developing a distinctive style built around saturated color, abstract composition and visual movement.

His early pieces incorporated hand-painted resins, later expanding to include crystals, rhinestones, silver, gold and other materials. The result was a highly recognizable body of work that blurred the line between jewelry, sculpture and fashion.

Schiffer’s designs were carried by major retailers including Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue, and his Soho gallery and studio placed his work firmly within New York’s downtown art and fashion scene.

His jewelry remains especially recognizable for its joyful color combinations, playful abstraction and unapologetic sense of fun.

I’d make the same changes here as with the other Schiffer listings: drop “neoclassical,” remove the repeated biography passages, and let 1988 + signed + wearable art do the heavy lifting.

And I really like the model photo for this pair — it finally shows the scale the way these earrings actually wear.