The earliest forms of earrings date back to the Bronze Age and ever since then, their use has been dictated by social values and trends. In ancient Egypt, earrings for men denoted status, whereas in Greece and Rome earrings were only worn by women. In fact, it was the Greeks who developed the pendant type – little figures of Cupid were the most popular. Men’s earrings were fashionable in Elizabethan England, and for centuries simple hoop earrings were associated with sailors and gypsies.
The earring was first made of bone, metal, and wood; the Sumerians introduced the use of precious stones. The 1960’s impacted jewelry styles, a happy advent for designers around the world!
