A SHORT, ROMANTIC HISTORY OF STERLING SILVER EARRINGS
Who was the brave woman to insert the first pair of sterling silver earrings into a hole in her earlobe? It was very long time ago. I’ve seen photographs of ancient earrings and they were definitely designed to go through a pierced ear.
But the hole had to have been enormous, at least by most of today’s standards. And I’m not talking about the current fad for gigantic, ever enlarging holes a lot of the kids today have. (Man oh man will they be sorry when they get to be my age! I imagine a whole new plastic surgery specialty may evolve around that practice.)
No, I think the ancient wearers of pierced ears just didn’t have the concept of small holes. Maybe they thought you had to see daylight through a hole for it to be serviceable.
Not only that, but the gold and silver earrings of eons past were quite elaborate and must have weighed a lot. Maybe it was a blessing that life spans were shorter - they didn’t have to live through the humiliation of earlobes stretched beyond imagination.
Or perhaps it was worth it just to put those glorious earrings on, full of exquisite detail. I think I’d prefer looking at them to wearing them, and would happily spend hours in a museum being inspired by those ancient artisans.
I have a pair of lovely Hopi Indian silver earrings that are too heavy for me to wear. It’s a shame, and maybe I just need to be tough like my female predecessors. I imagine to them this pair of sterling earrings would be positively weightless.
Silver Earrings Design for Comfort
When I design sterling silver earrings, I try to design them for comfort. I realize that everyone has her tolerance level for this sort of thing. But because I tend to be a bit of a wimp, I figure if they’re comfortable to me they’ll be comfortable for the majority of my customers. I think I’m on the right track with this theory because so far I’ve had no complaints.
I am inspired by the work of other artists, both ancient and modern. I don’t copy anyone else’s work, but I can happily bask in the beauty of their designs. It’s refreshing, like a shower of artistic enlightenment. When an artist is able to pursue her or his vision without restraint, it encourages the rest of us.
When I had my ears pierced at the ripe old age of 34, I couldn’t wait to get my first pair of earrings. They were little gold hoops, and I wore them everywhere. They were just about the simplest design imaginable. It’s hard to believe it, but this was just before I became a jewellery artist myself.
Now when I design, I design what I love. I have many customers who ask me to create special sterling silver earrings in this or that style. I don’t ignore their requests, but usually wait to see how many more people ask me for a similar design before making it.
If I do decide to make a much-asked for custom earring design, I do it from my own viewpoint. I’ve been really fortunate because most of what I make seems to be appreciated by my customers. Of course, I never know for sure until the design is cast and makes its debut! I always have a mild version of butterflies in the stomach, not as extreme as if I were stepping on the stage, but there just the same.
I have a rather extensive online store full of sterling silver earrings, and wouldn’t be surprised if you found a special pair you might enjoy wearing yourself!
