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Sumeria -

The earliest hoop earrings discovered by archaeologists are roughly 4,500 years old. They were found at a royal Sumerian burial site dated to 2500 BCE. Pictured here are the earrings and headdress that a female attendant to Queen Pu Abi would have worn. Sumeria was an ancient civilization in Mesopotamia, based in modern-day Iraq.

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Nubia -

Hoop earrings are also deeply ingrained in African culture. This stone relief from 1348 BCE depicts two male Nubian warriors wearing earrings.

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Persia -

Ancient Persian soldiers would also wear a single hoop earring in each ear. This stone relief from the 5th century BCE shows a shield-bearer of King Darius the Great, one of Persia’s first King of Kings.

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Ancient Egypt -

In ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, the gold hoop earring was a status symbol worn by both men and women. In ancient Egypt, cats were the most sacred and honored animal, and they were even dressed with hoop earrings!

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Ancient Egypt -

Egyptian royals would wear thick, heavy hoops made of gold to denote their status. They were most often worn by women, but men of importance would sometimes sport a hoop as well.

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Ancient Greece -

Hoops were worn throughout ancient Greece, starting around the 5th century BCE. They often used precious stones in their jewelry and may have been the first to make a diamond-encrusted hoop earring.

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Ancient Greece -

The Greeks rarely wore plain hoops, and would often engrave them with symbols associated with their pagan gods.

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Ancient Rome -

Hoop earrings in ancient Rome were very similar in style to those worn in ancient Greece. In fact, the Greeks produced most of the earrings worn by the Romans.

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Ancient Rome -

They became particularly significant during the rule of Julius Caesar, who turned the hoop earring into a status symbol.

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India -

In Indian culture, Hindu gods and goddesses are often depicted wearing hoop earrings. This painting of the goddesses Lakshmi and Sarasvati shows both wearing large ornate hoop earrings alongside small hanging earrings.

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The Middle Ages -

Fashion changes in the Middle Ages rendered earrings unnecessary, and they fell out of vogue in Europe. High collars and ruffs came into fashion, as well as hats and headdresses that might cover the ears.

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Pirates -

The next community to pick up on hoop earrings were the pirates! During the 17th and 18th centuries, seafaring pirates started to wear gold and silver hoop earrings. Not just for fashion, however, the style was inspired by a rather practical need.

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Pirates -

It’s said that they wore these valuable earrings so that no matter where they died, or where their bodies washed up on shore, they could be used to pay for a proper burial.

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Ainu culture -

In 19th-century Japan, it was tradition for both Ainu men and women to wear large hoop earrings. The Ainu people are an indigenous Japanese ethnic group whose history is relatively unknown, but they have been residents of northern Japan for centuries.

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Ainu culture -

Their culture is significantly different from the rest of Japan, particularly in terms of their appearance. Women are given lip tattoos when they become adults, and often wear large hoop earrings.

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Hmong culture -

The Hmong people of Vietnam are another unique ethnic group with a highly expressive style. They are known for their traditional attire of richly-woven fabrics and bright colors.

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Hmong culture -

Large, ornate hoop earrings are also an important part of their culture to this day.

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Recent history -

Hoop earrings have been passed down from generation to generation, morphing in style and significance. This is particularly true for women of African or Latinx heritage.

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Josephine Baker -

Josephine Baker was a famous African-American singer and performer who lived in France during the jazz age. During her long life, she was also a civil rights activist, and spoke at the 1963 March on Washington. She was the only female speaker on that day, when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his most famous speech.

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Josephine Baker -

Baker wore large, ornate hoop earrings frequently, both on and off stage. They were part of her signature look.

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Hoop earrings and the Black Power Movement -

By the 1960s, hoops were embraced by activists of the civil rights movement who adopted Afrocentric styles as a symbol of strength. Pictured here is activist and author Angela Davis speaking at a civil rights rally.

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The disco era -

The disco era was driven by Black female singers who often wore hoops, like Diana Ross here. The style spread across cultural borders to all who loved disco.

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The disco era -

Artists like Cher and other attendees of clubs like Studio 54 often wore hoops during this period.

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The great debate -

In Western culture, many are shocked to see a baby with pierced ears, but it’s a tradition and a rite of passage in Latin America, India, Africa, and many other places. Kylie Jenner sparked a huge debate when she pierced her daughter Stormi’s ears as a newborn.

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History of infant piercings -

Piercing a baby’s ears isn’t just to make them look “pretty,” it’s a long-standing tradition that dates back to the Aztecs, and in some cases is even a religious act. Karnavedha is a Hindu ceremony that involves piercing the ears of an infant, for instance.

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Stigma and misunderstanding -

Many people of color living in the US or Europe are subject to fierce judgment for piercing their baby’s ears and are thought to be irresponsible and trashy. As women grow up wearing hoop earrings in these cultures, they’re often seen as “ghetto,” adding to the stigma.

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Hip hop and hoops -

The hip-hop culture of the 1980s and 1990s saw a resurgence of the hoop earring in popular culture, but Black and Latinx people had never stopped wearing them. Outsiders saw this trend as an edgy “street style” without appreciating the long history and tradition of this accessory.

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Sonia Sotomayor -

Many powerful women have worked to reclaim the hoop earring, breaking down stigma and showing that it’s not “inappropriate for the workplace.” Sonia Sotomayor was the third female US Supreme Court Justice in history, and the first ever woman of color. She was advised not to wear hoops and red lipstick during hearings, but she ignored that advice.

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Hoops in the modern world -

Nowadays seemingly everyone wears hoop earrings without thinking twice about it, but stars like Beyoncé often use them to make a statement. This incredible outfit she wore during her 2017 Grammys performance references the African goddess Oshun, who represents fertility, love, and sensuality in the Yoruba religion.

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Jennifer Lopez -

It’s hard to mention hoop earrings without thinking of Jennifer Lopez. In her famous 2002 song ‘Jenny from the Block,’ she sports enormous silver hoops with a white fur coat while paying homage to her Latinx roots in the Bronx. She has championed hoop earrings throughout her long career, on the stage, the street, and the red carpet.

Sources: (Refinery29) (Editorialist) (Coomi) (Roma Jewelry) (Jewelry Auctioned)

See also: The evolution of the headwrap

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