Those in Rome and Greece that were wealthy would also wear earrings set with pearls and other expensive stones to display their social status. The middle ages in Europe saw male earrings alternate between being popular and out of fashion. However, in the 13 th Century, the Catholic Church banned the piercing of ears in accordance with the dogma; stating that people cannot alter their bodies created in the image of God.
It was then that earrings became popular amongst thieves, pirates and the lower class. It was not long after the renaissance that people deterred from the rules of the Church. Pierced ears would be present on young boys of single mothers whose husband has been killed, and on the right ear of the only boy in the family. A man who wore earrings on both ears was the last of his family line and would therefore not be allowed to participate in times of war, for fear that his family name would disappear forever.
Over time, earrings have become less popular amongst men and more so amongst women. Glittering girandoles and pendeloques, visually tied to the ears by stylized ribbon bows of diamonds set in silver, effectively balanced the high, powdered hairstyles of the period. Despite their refined and delicate appearance, such large earrings were quite heavy; some had additional rings soldered to the tops, permitting the wearer to take some of the weight off of her ears by tying the earrings to her hair.
When the neoclassical style of dress and simpler hairstyles came into fashion at the end of the eighteenth century, earrings became lighter and simpler. Jewelry of cut steel, seed pearls, Berlin iron, and strongly colored materials such as coral and jet, harmonized well with neoclassical fashions, and classically inspired cameos and intaglios were set in all kinds of jewelry.
Heavy girandoles gave way to pendant earrings composed of flat, geometric elements connected by light chains. Matched sets of jewelry, known as parures, assumed new importance in the nineteenth century, and they were available even to women of modest means. These sets usually included at least a matching necklace or brooch and earrings, but could also include bracelets, buckles, and a tiara or tiara-comb.
In the s and s, the trend toward lighter and more delicate jewelry continued, and settings of gold filigree or elaborate wirework known as cannetille were very popular. In the s, a romantic interest in the past also inspired jewelry designers to revive historical styles from the ancient world to the eighteenth century, and a modified version of the girandole earring returned, along with elaborate gothic tracery and rococo-revival scroll-work. As hairstyles became more elaborate in the s, earrings became more prominent, with small tops and long drops reaching nearly to the shoulders.
Earrings with long, torpedo-shaped drops of carved gemstones with applied gold filigree were also popular, many with detachable drops to allow the tops to be worn alone. In the late s and through the s, a new hair-style, with hair parted in the middle and gathered to the back of the head in loops that covered the ears, caused a virtual disappearance of earrings.
Around , once again owing to a return to upswept hairstyles, long pendant earrings made a comeback, and through the s and s they were produced in an astonishing variety of styles.
One major theme was historical revival, with Egyptian and Classical styles particularly popular. Some revival earrings, such as those produced by the Castellani family in Rome, were fairly faithful reproductions of recent archaeological discoveries; others were fanciful pastiches of classical earring forms, architectural elements, and other motifs such as amphorae. Earrings with carved classical reliefs of coral or lava, or Roman glass micro-mosaics, were very fashionable, and were often brought back as souvenirs by travelers to Italy.
Other popular styles were naturalistic renditions of leaves, flowers, insects, and birds' nests in gold, enamel, and semiprecious stones; enameled renaissance-revival styles; and, for more precious gems, floral sprays and cascades. A new style in the s was the fringe or tassel earring, with a graduated fringe of pointed drops suspended from a large oval pendant.
In the last two decades of the nineteenth century, large pendant earrings went out of fashion, in part because they were incompatible with the newly fashionable high dress and blouse collars, and with the elaborate "dog collar" necklaces worn for evening, which almost completely covered the neck. Small single-stone and cluster earrings, either firmly mounted to the ear wire or mounted as pendants to move and catch the light, were the most commonly worn style through the early twentieth century.
The most fashionable earrings of all were diamond solitaires, which became more available after the opening of the South African diamond fields in the late s. New cutting machines and open-claw settings, both of which increased the amount of light reflected by diamonds and made solitaire earrings more appealing, were developed in the s. To prevent valuable diamond earrings from being lost, catches were added to secure the bottoms of the ear wires.
Another innovation, first patented in , was the earring cover, a small hinged sphere of gold, sometimes finished in black enamel, which could be snapped over a diamond earring to protect it from loss or theft. By the end of the century diamond ear studs also called screws , with a threaded post passing through the ear, and held securely in back by a nut screwed onto the post, were also popular. By , as earrings declined in size and importance, many women stopped wearing them altogether.
Some commentators denounced ear-piercing as barbaric, and women who pierced their ears were considered "fast," or not quite respectable. In the United States, some of the reaction against pierced ears may be credited to the desire of "native" Americans to distinguish themselves from the large numbers of immigrant women, almost all with pierced ears, who were arriving from Europe at the time.
In spite of piercing's negative image, small screw earrings continued to be worn, and new screw-back fittings, which could be tightened onto unpierced earlobes, were available for those who did not wish to pierce their ears. Around , pendant earrings were revived, but with light, articulated drops of smaller stones rather than single-stone drops; diamonds, pearls, and stones matching the color of the costume were the most popular materials.
The earring revival continued into the s, aided considerably by a growing acceptance of costume jewelry. Earrings are also an expression of one's personal taste in art and can be made out of wood, plastic, feathers, ceramics, rubber, shells and even food such as pasta, dried beans and various seeds.
Earrings can even make a political, religious or social statement by representing campaign propoganda, crosses, or "ribbons" in support of causes such as U. The wearing of an earring by a male can advertise whether he is gay or straight, depending on which ear it's worn on.
Pierced and post earrings involve piercing holes in various parts ot the ear for the insertion of metal studs or rings. For the most part, these holes are permanent but will gradually reseal if the individual stops wearing the earrings. Clip-on or screw-back earrings are detachable and involve a spring hinge that gently clamps on to the ear and, in the case of screw-backs, can be tightened to ensure a secure fit on the ear lobe.
Magnetic earrings come in two pieces, a front and a back, and are held in place by magnetism. Dangle earrings, which come in both pierced and clip-on varieties, extend an inch or two below the earlobe and, when worn for formal occasions, usually include lots of sparkling gems real or fake.
Hoop earrings resemble a ring and come in a wide range of sizes, the larger ones usually being reminiscent of gypsies. Ear threads and needles are plastic sticks and threaded chains for the edgier crowd of earring wearers. Blue Sapphire Engagement Rings. White Sapphire Engagement Rings. Pink Sapphire Engagement Rings. Purple Sapphire Engagement Rings. Yellow Sapphire Engagement Rings. Green Sapphire Engagement Rings. Blue Green Sapphire Engagement Rings. Peach Sapphire Engagement Rings. Padparadscha Sapphire Engagement Rings.
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