Nowadays many men complement their image with earrings. If a couple of decades ago earrings were worn by creative personalities and representatives of informal groups, today anyone can emphasize his individuality with this stylish accessory. Did you know that despite the fact that earrings are more common among female, the first to wear them were men? If you want to learn more about how people decorated their ears in the past, read this article.
Earrings in the Ancient World
The first reliable data about jewelry worn in the ears dates back to 7th millennium BC. Mentions about earrings can be found on clay tablets from Assyria and on papyri of Ancient Egypt. In these states, men's earrings showed the high social status of a person. However, just a few centuries later, in Ancient Rome they were no longer adornments. Earrings started symbolizing slavery.
In Europe, earrings have been known since ancient times. These ornaments served as a sign of distinction, belonging to a particular circle, showed a social status of their owner. The main difference was the material earrings were made of. Ordinary people wore copper or wooden rings while prosperous merchants and the nobility had them made of precious metals. The rulers sported earrings with rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones. In ancient Rus, the Orthodox Church did not impose a direct ban, but only certain segments of society could wear ear ornaments. Cossack atamans marked children in a family with the help of the rings. Thus, the only child had to wear an earring in the right ear and the last men in the family - in the left one.
The fashion for wigs did not allow the nobility to wear ornaments in the ears because they were not visible behind the curls. Serfs, however, wore rings in their ears and it was a symbol of their belonging to a master. When women sent their husbands to war, they gave them an amulet - an earring.
An Earring – a Symbol of Rogue Life
The Catholic Church forbade the wearing of earrings since it deemed them as objects that spoil the perfect image of a man. In the Middle Ages, ear jewelry was spread only among pirates, gypsies, criminal personalities, and other underworld groups. People in these groups assigned particular meanings to earrings depending on their way of life. A pirate earned an earring after he had participated in a successful boarding. A thief, wearing this accessory, showed a denial of social principles.
According to the Gypsy traditions, an earring was worn by a child after the death of his or her male relative. Civilian seamen got the right to wear jewelry after swimming around the Cape of Good Hope. All this suggests that men's earrings, despite the prohibition of the church, were worn by bold and courageous people capable of serious deeds.
A Variety of Designs to Choose from
The main shape of ornaments for ears had long been a ring but with time the nobility started wearing earrings in the form of a cross or a stud. Today, myriads of shapes and styles are available for everybody. Here, at Biker Ring Shop, we offer a huge assortment of biker earrings. They are hand-crafted out of 925 sterling silver and feature unique styles. Our designers put their best foot forward to create not just accessible, but also eye-catching, stylish, and appealing pieces that will suit your image.