Continental gold mesh and ball love knot earrings clip great vintage ll2621

Dainty clip back earrings from the Continental jewelry company of Montreal. The earrings are made of gold tone mesh ropes twisted into love knots and centered with shiny gold balls. They are marked Continental on the clip backs and have a patent number inside the clips. They are in excellent vintage condition.
3/4 inch in diameter.

Best guess to age is late 1950s or early 60s.

These earrings are gold tone or plate, not karat gold. Do not be confused because Continental also made karat gold jewelry.

The Continental company opened for business in 1943 and operated successfully until 1997 when it was sold. When they first began making jewelry, rhinestones were all the rage and Continental rhinestone jewelry was considered a competitor of Sherman. They were less expensive because they used fewer stones but the quality was the same. When the demand for rhinestones waned, the company diversified and began making gold jewelry.