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Earring History, Around the World
The oldest known earrings were discovered in 2004 by archaeologists at the
Xinglongwa Cultural Site. The pair of jade hoops was unearthed in Chifeng city in
Inner Mongolia. The dig yielded a treasure trove of earrings ranging from 2 to 6
centimeters and may be as much as 10,000 years old! Talk about a fashion statement
that has never gone out of style. The popularity of earrings spread, it would seem,
all over the world from this Asian point of origin.
Iraq (ancient Persia)
Previously thought to be the oldest known source of earrings, Ancient Persia has
given us examples of both dangling pendant style earrings and hoop styles said to
be some 5000 years old.
India
Earrings are said to have begun as a token of religious initiation prior to become
merely ornamental jewelry pieces.
Egypt
Extensive archaeology has yielded us fabulous earrings of Egyptian antiquity from
the tombs of nobles.
Europe
The fashion of wearing earrings has waxed and waned over the past thousand years,
dependant upon the skill of artisans and the modes of arranging hair. During
periods when bonnets or ear-covering hairstyles were prevalent, earrings
disappeared, only to resurge during different fashion periods. The Renaissance
and Victorian eras saw the creation of truly elaborate gem stone, pearl and
precious metal earrings.
USA
As with Europe, hairstyles and general shifts in fashion have caused the popularity
of earrings to rise and fall during different periods in our history. At present,
the majority of American women have pierced ears and choose from an incredible
variety of earring styles for daily wear.
And then...there are the pirates!
The old legends are true about burly pirates sporting earrings and there are two
interesting bits of folklore that go with this. One is that pirates obtained the
right to wear an earring if he performed some admirable feat such as sailing round
the world, crossing the equator or surviving a shipwreck. The other legend
indicates that pirates believed the practice of ear piercing actually improved
the eyesight. One can see how desirable a thing that would have been for sailors
who needed to scan the seas to make landfall!
Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed when you purchase these Handcrafted Amazonite
Earrings
Happy customers are what make our Flowery Branch, Georgia jewelry business
possible. Should you be in any way dissatisfied with your earrings, you are
welcome to return
them within 7 days or receipt. With four years of service
and many happy customers to our credit, the jewelers at Two Cat Studio are
committed to your absolute satisfaction.
We are proud to be a part of the splendid history of earrings, and invite you
to read more about the mysterious origins of the Amazonite beads
featured in this pair of handcrafted earrings.
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