Hoops Earrings

Creole earrings, a special history heavy with meaning

Symbols of wealth or beauty according to civilizations, protection, too, against spirits, the Creole earrings come to us straight from the mists of time and are part of the most ancient jewelry. From Nubia to Egypt, from Greece to Rome, women (and men) of antiquity were already wearing this type of earrings. But if their origin goes back well to 2500 BC and the Nubian civilization, they acquired a real symbolic meaning - and their current name - during the dark period of slavery. Indeed, it should be noted that these earrings were the only jewelry allowed for slaves and thus the only item brought back from their homeland to the New World as a symbol of belonging. Today, far more than a fashion accessory or a luxury jewel, creoles still hold special significance in some cultures. In the Caribbean, for example, it is customary to pierce the ears of infants to give them creoles for protection. In Europe, however, the contemporary era will not make much of this type of earrings until the 1960s. And here again, creoles will have a message to send. At that time, they were indeed very popular among African-American women who wanted to proudly display their origins and identity, in the wake of the Black Power movement, like Angela Davis and other Tina Turner. During the following decade, stars such as Donna Summer and Diana Ross completed the popularization of creoles, until reaching a much wider audience. And today, very few great jewelry houses do not offer creole earrings in their collections. The simple circular shape with its curved stem has given way to more elaborate jewelry, designed in smooth or worked metal, adorned or not with diamonds or other colored stones, declined in different shapes.

Tips on how to choose your creole earrings

When it comes to luxury jewelry, then, women who want to wear creole earrings are spoilt for choice. And it is true that they can fit any face, but under certain conditions. The first rule is to choose a pair of earrings proportional to its own size. The very large earrings are not adapted to women who are less than average height. In addition, the larger the earrings are, the more they will sublimate an elongated face. Small creoles or drop shapes are therefore more suitable for round faces, as well as for medium or long hair that you don't want to pull up. The choice of creoles is also - it goes without saying - a matter of style, or even a favorite brand. But jewelers, apart from some collections based on a particular metal - rose gold for example - also take care to offer the same model in different metals. This is obviously no accident for a piece of jewelry to be worn so close to the face. The yellow gold is particularly suited to "warm complexions," that is, women with tanned skin, while white gold, silver and rose gold embellish more porcelain complexions or slightly pink skin.