Through the ears ..a brief history of piercing jewellery

EARRINGS through the years have been big, small and migrated from the lobe to the nostril – but they never go out of style.

They even featured in ancient Greek frescoes and been found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs.

So how have earring trends changed?

The were all about Hollywood glamour, with Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Jane Mansfield, right, and Brigitte Bardot in earrings that were big, glitzy and full of gold and diamonds. Chandelier-style was the favoured look.

In the it was all about the block colours and big, pop art-style geometric shapes worn by style icons like Edie Sedgwick and Twiggy.

Earrings also became cheaper and more widely available around this time – mas produced from plastic, resin or Perspex instead of precious stones and metals.

Earrings weren’t a huge part of fashion. Earrings weren’t as “statement” as they’d been in the Sixties, and tended to be delicate and unobtrusive.

Subtle is not how you’d describe fashion and the jewellery was no different. Think big, bold and oversized everything, chunky earrings galore. There were more gold and silver styles and fake peals and gems were a staple.

Oversized hoops, like those worn by Bananarama’s Siobhan Fahey above, were a common sight, and clip-on styles also became increasingly popular.

An increasing number of men started experimenting with ear piercings, with the likes of David Bowie and Boy George leading the charge.

As the rolled in, women put away their chunky clip-ons and welcomed in a whole new style. This was the era of spaghetti straps and slip dresses – everything minimalist and sleek was in vogue.

The overriding fashion of the time was not to look too put together, so once again, statement earrings weren’t a common sight. Instead, women opted for smaller, more sophisticated jewellery – think simple studs or short delicate danglies.

Moving on the hoop earrings returned. They date back thousands of years BC and often seen as a status symbol,