All About Earrings

History of Earrings

Image credits to Pinterest

An earring is a piece of jewelry attached to the ear via a piercing in the earlobe or another external part of the ear.

According to history, earrings have been around since long and ear piercing was done to insert earrings. Primitive humans pierced their ears with plugs and heavy stones. So, earrings have been there from long back and it is one of the fashion accessories you can use to decorate your ears. The old generation used to wear just a single loop as their earring. The old designs have undergone a lot of transformation and now there are various shapes and designs of earrings.

Locations of Piercings

Today, piercings are hugely popular among both men and women not only in the earlobes, but on other parts of the ear and the body. These include the rook, tragus and helix. The simple term "ear piercing" usually refers to an earlobe piercing, whereas piercings in the upper part of the external ear are often referred to as "cartilage piercings".

Types of Earrings

The stud earrings are probably the most common and simple type of earrings. Although there are many different styles and sizes of the stud, the premise remains the same. The stud sits tight on the ear with the back hidden, making it appear as if it is “floating” on the ear.

The stud itself can have different types of backings. The most common one is the push-back kinds that are held in place by friction, and are easy to wear and remove. A more secure type of earring back is the screw back. It consists of a threaded post and a nut that is spun on to the post. It cannot be pulled off - it has to be fully unscrewed.

1st: Arthesdam Jewellery Blessings Hydrangea Earrings in 916 Gold

2nd: Arthesdam Jewellery Love Flower Earrings in 916 Gold


Another type of earrings are the hoop earrings. These earrings range in many sizes and designs. The classic hoop is a piece of metal that circles the ear from front to back, leaving room between the bottom of the earring and the earlobe. Huggies are a newer form of the hoop earring, usually very tiny and run through your piercings and hug the earlobe. 

 

1st: Arthesdam Jewellery Endless Prosperity Modern Earrings in 916 Gold

2nd: Arthesdam Jewellery Endless Elegance Earrings in 916 Gold (Huggies)

Moving on, we have the dangles or dangle earrings. Just as the name implies, dangle earrings are those that hang below the earlobes and swing to and fro or from side to side. The designs and lengths of these earrings can vary from anything right below the earlobe to as long as shoulder length. 

Best Earrings for Sensitive Ears

Before choosing a pair of earrings, it is important to know who will be wearing it, whether the person has any jewellery allergy. This not just helps in the selection of design, but also material which is important to prevent allergies.

Jewellery allergy is more common than people think. Most jewellery allergy is caused by the metal nickel which is used in the manufacture of alloys. In less expensive jewellery, nickel is often used in the base metal which is then plated with gold or silver.

Since the most common cause of sensitive ears is likely a nickel allergy, the first thing to do is avoid earrings that have nickel in the posts. Don’t just assume that earrings marked hypoallergenic will work. Although this means they are less likely to cause an allergic reaction, there is unfortunately no standard in the jewelry industry when it comes to what hypoallergenic means.

The best earrings for sensitive ears are generally made with gold, platinum, or silver. Make sure you buy earrings that are above 14k gold or sterling silver 925 to reduce the possibility of nickel being mixed in.

 

 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earring

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2018/vivacity/6-surprising-facts-about-earrings-that-you-didnt-know.html

https://www.onecklace.com/tips/different-types-of-earrings/

http://www.jewelrywise.com/jewelry-101/article/earrings

https://dermnetnz.org/topics/jewellery-allergy/