Clever designs for earrings have adapted through the ages
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009Earrings originally came in two types of pendant or hoop design when they were first introduced in three thousand BC in Asia.
Earrings were buried with the dead in ancient times and the oldest known were discovered in graves in Middle East dating back to two thousand BC. They were not only made from from bronze but also gold and silver which they are still made from to this modern day. The piercing of ears was the first known method of attaching jewellery to ears. The Egyptians used to literally plug the ears by stretching large holes into the earlobe and inserting earplugs into this space. This method whilst still used today by African tribes has been redeveloped in the western world into just small piercings for stud or drop earrings. There have been times in the past during the dark ages for instance that recession has meant that jewellery was made from materials other than precious metals due to cheaper prices. Designers however kept there designs safe and the Greeks once again pioneered the use of gold and silver for earrings.
When the Greeks invented earrings in the seventh century AD they would often feature intricate carved designs onto the earrings of there gods such as Eros or Nike. These symbols would take on the appearance of birds. When gemstones became a popular choice for jewellery in the second century the Romans decided to create earrings to use as a symbol wealth.
When hair styles became longer in the middle ages earrings became less popular to wear. Elaborate head dresses covered the ears so it was pointless for many people to bother owning a pair including married women who were regarded as immoral for covering there heads. Such ideas would be dismissed these days and earrings come in more shapes and sizes than ever before.
Things did change for the wearing of earrings when the Italians dictated fashion styles by introducing swept back hair styles which meant once again earrings were back in vogue. The rest of Europe eventually copied all be it one hundred years later in the seventeenth century. Queen Victoria pioneered earrings for women in the seventeenth century when they became extremely popular for fashion conscious ladies to wear as a fashion accessory. A heavy pendant style was the most popular of all during this time.
Due to the weight of these pendant earrings worn in the 17th century they were heavy and pulled the earlobes down creating unsightly large holes. Nowadays these issues have been overcome with the use of clever design as we don’t like earrings to damage our ears. In olden times earrings have been available for people whether wealthy or poor due to the vast range of styles that are made from less expensive metals such as silver or beads. This has been so from early days through to modern times.
John Lewis runs a website that features unusual earrings that are handcrafted in the UK. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/jewelry-articles/clever-designs-for-earrings-have-adapted-through-the-ages-1528106.html
