Earrings

Earrings are thought to have originated in Asia and the Middle East. Historians believe that both hoop and pendant earrings date back to about 2000 BC. Ear piercing is one of the oldest known forms of body modification, with artistic and written references from cultures around the world dating back to early history. One of the early signs of earrings worn by men are from the walls of Perspolis in ancient Persia, the carved images of the soldiers from various parts of the Persian Empire which are displayed on some of the surviving walls of the palace showing the soldiers wearing an ear ring.

At the time of the origin, earrings were considered a sign of wealth and prosperity, as only affluent women could afford the precious metals of which earrings were made. Throughout the Dark Ages and Middle Ages, women were usually too poor to own earrings and up until late in the Renaissance, earrings were looked upon as flashy and inappropriate for proper women