When Did Women First Start Wearing Dangle Earrings?

Dangle earrings hang from your ear lobe. They are designed to hang loose and offer you a bit of movement that attractively complements your gait. The lengths of these earrings vary. Some may fall just an inch below the lobe while others are so long that they actually touch your shoulder. Although they are occasionally sold with post attachments, it is far more common to find them attached to a thin wire that forms a hook, which then goes through the pierced ear lobe.

This type of earring is quite popular right now with jewelry buyers. If you have ever wondered how this style of earring came into being, you have to look no further than the hoop earrings that were popular during the time of the ancient Egyptians. Before long, the hoops evolved into pendants that were then worn from the lobes. The longer the dangling pendants, the wealthier the wearer was purported to be. While gold was a favorite material for these earrings, the Greeks and Romans added a wealth of gemstones to the mix.

Ancient Greek jewelry is famous for its straight forward designs and beautifully done inlays. Roman pieces are known for their opulence and display of wealth. Fast forward to the Renaissance, when the favored hair styles of the times left women’s ears clearly visible. Since the hair was gathered up and worn swept away from the face, dangle earrings provided the visual counterpoint to the occasionally rather elaborate and tall coifs.

It is interesting to note that even some men wore modest dangle earrings. Usually they were considered the rakes or adventurers of society. They would sport a small pearl or precious stone that dangled from one ear. One form of dangle that became infamous was the girandole. During the time of Queen Victoria, these heavy earrings were a favorite at court and beyond. Due to the large number of sizable stones, the settings were rather heavy as well. As a result, when these earrings were worn consistently, they tended to stretch the earlobes of the ladies, which occasionally resulted in unattractive appearances when the earrings fell out of fashion.

After a while, the much lighter pendeloque earrings took the places of the girandoles. They were longer but lighter. This was due in part to the use of inlays and the focus on one precious stone and an ornate setting rather than a large number of heavy stones. Next, there came a long time when dangle earrings were something a respectable woman would not wear. Initially, the earrings went out of style because hair was worn down again and covered the ears. Combined with changes in social mores, earrings became the type of adornment that was usually only worn by women of ill repute.

Yet time has moved on and by the early 20^th century, earrings were once again in vogue. Although initially these pieces were small, dangles made a comeback and are now popular for young girls and older women alike. When you visit your favorite jeweler today, you are sure to find a large selection of pieces. With so many different sizes, you are certain to find one or more pairs that you simply cannot live without. 

Peter Suchy Jewelers is located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut and we are experts in vintage, estate, antique and Art Deco jewelry and we carry dangle earrings from all jewelry periods so be sure to stop by our showroom.

Or, if you enjoy shopping for vintage dangle earrings online, head on over to our eBay store where you'll find we are a PowerSeller with over 5,000 transactions to date and 100 percent positive feedback.

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