Sterling Stud Earrings with Amethysts, 10mm, 8g, Artisan

Solid-feeling, artisan-made stud earrings in 925 sterling silver. Measure 10mm diameter by 4mm high. Smooth amethyst cabochons in center. Weight 8g total. I am not sure how they were constructed. But they do not feel hollow, and light appears to reflect through the amethyst from the silver backing. Purchased at an artisanal jewelry shop on East Second Street and First Avenue in NYC around 1998. (When rents were still sort of low.) Very lightly worn. I expect that natural stones were used. Looking through a jeweler's loupe, my untrained eye sees inclusions which suggest real stones. They are a deep but reflective purple. I do not know whether they were dyed, as overly light amethysts can be. These earrings are in excellent condition, with minor wear (faint scratches on silver). Come with brand-new Silpada backs that are large, comfortable and secure. Speaking of which: Compare these with Silpada's E4208FEB. Similar idea, but more substantial.