Earrings are a very important part of any outfit, whether you are going for a more casual, everyday look or are going for a completely dolled up extravagant look. Earrings are always there to spice up the whole outfit and to bring it all together.  

Turns out that they have actually been a part of people’s outfits for a lot longer than you or I could have ever imagined.

When people think of earrings, many people associate them with women. But they are for everybody, and they have been since they first came about, all of those millennia ago.

Earrings at one point in time were heavily associated with men, and men only. This dates all the way back to the Bronze Age. This came to light when the body of a 5,000-year-old body had been recovered in the Italian Alps, as well as Europe’s oldest mummy. They were both found with holes in their ears, heavily implying that they wore earrings in some form or another.

There is also evidence of the wearing of earrings in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

However, contrary to popular belief, it hasn’t always been the wealthier people who got to wear earrings. It was very popular during the ancient Roman times for enslaved people to wear them, and in ancient Greek times, it was mainly prostitutes who wore them.

During these times they were a very important part of society and allowed other people to show off their status and their societal class. For example, the wealthier ladies would wear pearl earrings to set themselves apart from others within society, such as the prostitutes.

The wearing of jewellery such as earrings can be seen further along the timeline too. Especially throughout the medieval period. During that specific time men would wear earrings to depict certain things about their lives and certain things about their personal history. If a man wore an earring in both ears, then this means he was the last of his line, which would allow him to sit out of wars to ensure the preservation of his family.

However, from there, earrings very quickly evolved into something of a fashion statement. This can be seen on many influential figures from the past. Especially William Shakespeare. He was well known for wearing an earring simply for fashion, and it can be seen in many of his portraits.

This is very close to how earrings are used in the modern day. Many people wear jewellery such as earrings simply because they look good and/or they complete their outfits. Especially in the western parts of the world, there is not really much meaning behind them anymore, but that does not make them any less beautiful. It is very interesting to see how they started off and changed along with the times.

Who knew these little pieces of jewellery could have so much history?