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It is thought that earrings date back to 3000 BC where they
originated in Asia and appeared in 2 formats, one being the
simple hoop earring and the other the more elaborate pendant
earring.
The oldest earrings ever found by archaeologists were discovered
in royal graves in Iraq and date back to around 2500 BC. Gold,
silver and bronze hoop earrings have also been found dating back
to 2000 BC in Crete. In those days it was customary to bury
jewelry with the dead.
In 16th century in the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt a type of
earring called an earplug became fashionable and these fitted
snugly into a wide stretched hole in the earlobe. This type of
piercing is seen on the sculpture of Tutankhamen.
Poverty in the Dark ages meant that work with precious metals
dwindled although some goldsmiths preserved designs that were to
later emerge in 7th century Greece. The most popular earrings
then there were the pendant type and they often featured a bird
or likenesses of the gods Eros and Nike.
In the 2nd century during the Roman Empire, earrings became a
popular way for rich women to show off their wealth and the use
of precious gemstones in the jewelry also became more popular.
During the Middle Ages earrings became less popular and
practical due to the popularity of elaborate hairstyles and
headdresses. In fact for a time it was considered immoral for
respectable married woman not to have their heads covered in
public.
In 16th century Italy, hairstyles changed with hair being swept
away from the face leaving ears exposed although for another 100
years things stayed the same in England, Spain and France with
the wearing of high collars keeping earrings out of fashion.
By the 17th century, earrings became very fashionable accessory
for the well dressed lady across the whole of Europe. One of the
most popular designs of those times were the very large heavy
pendant type earrings called girandoles which were great
favourites of Queen Victoria. These earrings required a
substantial amount of precious metals and gemstones and so were
very heavy, which meant that most people that wore them suffered
from elongated earlobes.
Although earrings were popular with wealthy people throughout
the ages, they were also popular with poorer people who adopted
their own styles which were less elaborate and made from less
expensive materials.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that earrings were completely
revolutionised. Different fittings appeared such as screw and
clip on as well as those for pierced ears and it also became the
norm for women to wear earrings in the day and not just for
special occasions. The 1960’s marked a massive change for the
wearing of earrings when designs became completely unrestrained
and it became common to see men also wearing earrings although
most only usually wear one earring. Women began to collect
earrings and with so many designs available the choices were
endless.
Today the choice is even greater and the popularity of earrings
increases with many people now having more than one set of
piercings in which to display their jewelry. Modern materials
such as titanium and different types of plastics have also
become popular in the making of earrings because of their
lightness, design possibilities and in the case of titanium
because of its hypoallergenic qualities.
There is now a never ending choice of different types of
earrings from modern trendy cheap and cheerful everyday earrings
to the more expensive gold, silver or platinum earrings inlaid
with diamonds and other precious gemstones.
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