Diamond Earrings

PostBy Avi Paz Group At 07.11.2010

Piercing ears for earrings is one of the earliest known forms of body modification. Earrings were worn in early Persian culture, and the story of Exodus contains a passage in which Aaron exhorts the Israelites – men, women, and children – to remove their earrings, which he then melted down into the Golden Calf. Sailors have long worn earrings, a custom that dates back to ancient Greece and became a way to ensure that anyone who discovered the body of a sailor who died at sea would have a way of paying for his burial. Diamond earrings, specifically, can be found dating as far back as 2500 BCE. 

While earrings have always retained their popularity in Eastern cultures, they tended to come in and out of vogue in the West. Queen Victoria, an aficionada of fine diamond jewelry, helped popularize jewelry in general and earrings in particular in the UK and throughout Europe. 

Generations later, Queen Elizabeth II, Victoria's great-great granddaughter, caused a similar jewelry craze when she had her ears pierced to wear the diamond earrings her parents, George VI and Elizabeth, gave her as a wedding present in 1947. The King George VI Chandelier Earrings, as they are officially known, are long chandelier earrings featuring diamonds of every cut. The Queen's extensive jewelry collection also includes Victoria's large, brilliant-cut diamond stud diamond earrings.  

For some time, the fashion of pierced ears was in abeyance as clip-on earrings enjoyed popularity, particularly in the US. But pierced ears – and not only the lobes – are back and show no signs of fading out of fashion any time soon. Jewelers are giving their imagination and craft a free range and coming up with some stunning diamond earring designs, and red carpet events continue to be a stellar opportunity for top diamond jewelry designers to show off their creations. 

This year alone, Catherine O'Hara walked the red carpet wearing $105,000 10-carat platinum and diamond drop earrings made from 18 round diamonds, while Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron sported a pair of shooting star earrings made from 46 diamonds. Jada Pinkett Smith wore a pair of Harry Winston emerald-cut diamond studs-on-a-wire, and Julianne Moore sparkled in $35,000 diamond pendant earrings with diamond briolettes. Uma Thurman chose rose-cut diamond earrings, and Naomi Watts wore pink pear-shaped diamond drop earrings from Fred Leighton valued at $950,000.