Introduction
Earrings have been part of jewelry the world over from times immemorial. Earrings as jewelry show off the style, tastes and the attitude of the wearer. There are two basic kinds of earrings- the pierced and the clip on types. Both categories have many sub categories of shapes, sizes and styles.
Earrings over the Centuries
It is commonly believed that earrings first came into existence in Asia and the Middle East. People started wearing hoop and pendant earrings as early as 2000 BC. Historical evidence suggests that ancient Egyptians wore pierced earrings around 1500 BC. In those times, only the rich women could afford to wear earrings owing to the precious nature of the metals used to make earrings. Earrings were considered flashy in the Dark Ages and the Middle Ages.
Renaissance and the centuries after that saw a revival of earrings in Europe. Queen Victoria’s long jeweled earrings set a trend of sorts in the 19 th century. Earrings of all shapes, sizes and styles were very much part of the fashion scenario by the middle of the 20 th century. Trends such as wearing simple earrings for the day and more flashy ones as evening wear started during this period. Earrings have always been part of fashion since then.
Types of Earrings
As we saw earlier, earrings belong to two basic categories- the pierced and the clip-on. The pierced variety has small studs, pendant types (dangling earrings) and hoops. Pierced earrings attach to the ear with a post or a wire running through the piercing.
Clip-on earrings on the other hand clip on to the ear with a spring attachment or screw-in post. These were out of style in the 1970s, when pierced earrings were the trend. However clip-on earrings regained popularity in recent times.
Earrings and Culture
Earrings have a long history all over the world. Both men and women have worn earrings in different periods of history. This is still a trend. Some cultures have the ceremony of piercing the ears of newborn babies. In our times, most people choose simple earrings for daytime and work wear and reserve the fancy ones for evening and party wear.
Different shapes and sizes of face demand different kinds of earrings. Earrings can also be used to enhance a hair style.
There are many different styles of earrings that go with formal or casual wear and on different occasions. Such is the variety available that wearing different and appropriate earrings for different special occasions can be an art by itself. Well chosen earrings make an excellent gift idea.
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