A History of Gemstone Earrings

Crystal earrings known to us today are not a modern creative invention. These date back to 2500 BC when they were regarded as an accessory for only the elite or royal classes. In those times, such jewelry was extremely expensive and beyond the purchasing power of the masses. The first ever earrings discovered by archaeologists were in Iraq. In the past, there were not many varieties of earrings available: hoops and ear plugs were the only types commonly worn.

With the passage of time, these remarkable jewelry items gained popularity and styles changed, undergoing significant modifications. They remained the symbol of glitz and glamour and retained their popularity as an object of making a style statement on different occasions. Starting from more basic shapes, the trend for more dangling types took over the fashion and jewelry industry.

The trend of clip-ons became popular around the 1950s. These did not require getting your ears pierced and therefore were a much desired accessory amongst children, young and old women alike. The modifications continued but it was not until the 1960s that more creative styles and lighter designs were introduced. Within the next decade, crystal earrings had gained so much popularity that almost every woman had a couple of pairs in her jewelry collection. It was also during the same time that clip-ons went out of fashion and their market share was taken over by long dangling types.

Since that time, many different styles and types of these jewelry items have been created. These include hoops, dangling, chandelier and simple crystal studs. Studs are also liked by some men. However, those for women are available in a great variety of different colored crystal stones like deep purple, emerald green, ocean blue crystals, rose crystals, white or clear crystals and black ones.

Designs are given great attention and symmetry is given a high concern because uneven weight and irregular shapes with sharp edges are highly uncomfortable to wear, even for a short time. Moreover, cheaper imitations of real crystals have now been created which are made of glass, plastic or similar materials. This makes them highly affordable to purchase no matter how little you are willing to spend.

In short, these jewelry items have seen a remarkable trend of evolution since they were first created, leading to their immense popularity amongst a majority of women today.