Heart Stud Earrings

I love heart jewelry and a pair of white gold heart earrings that my husband bought me a few years ago is one of my favorite and most precious pieces of any type of jewelry. That’s quite fitting because the heart has long been a symbol of love. I came late to having my ears pierced, in fact, I was thirty before I plucked up the courage to go to the jewelry store to get it done. And the reason I eventually had it done was that I liked the dainty stud earrings that were not available in a clip–on ones. I already have a pair of clip-on silver earrings but I really wanted to wear these new gold ones. Although I had talked about it for a few days I suddenly decided one afternoon as I was going to pick up my children from school that today was the day.

One thing I had forgotten was the fact that I was also picking up my friend’s two sons who were coming to play with my kids and staying for dinner. Having made the decision I decided to go ahead with it as I thought if I didn’t I would chicken out and it would be a long time before I got the courage up again! So with four kids in the car off, we went to the local jewelry store. Having told the children what I planned before we went home they were looking forward to seeing how it was done. We duly arrived at the shop and in we all went. I remember sitting in the chair with these four pairs of eyes avidly watching as I picked out a pair of studs and then had my ears cleaned with surgical spirit and a cross put on them as to where the holes should be.

Feeling very nervous I sat there as they put the studs in the gun and placed it against my ear. I thought it couldn’t really hurt a lot because after all lots of baby girls have their ears pierced when they are only a few months old and a mom wouldn’t subject their infant to any pain would they? Well, I must be a wimp – because it did hurt! But because I had the children with me I had to pretend everything was okay. I gritted my teeth while the second ear was done and I breathed a big sigh of relief when it was all over. Getting back in the car I remember my ears burning and being hot to the touch but when the kids asked if it had hurt I admit I told a white lie and said it didn’t. I did all that was asked with regard to cleaning the site and turning the studs and fortunately I had no ill effects. I couldn’t wait until I could take out the initial studs and wear some of the lovely earrings that I had so admired. In fact, shortly afterward my husband was on a business trip to New York and bought me a beautiful pair of 24-carat gold earrings which I wear more than any others – with perhaps only the exception of my heart earrings.

A Preference For Heart Stud Earrings

Although ear piercing has been around for centuries, its popularity in the western world has been growing since the 1960s. For three or four decades prior to this, clip-on earrings were the norm and were often large in size and more often than not came under the category of costume jewelry. I’m sure we have all seen the old movies and TV series where a lady had to unclip one of her earrings when answering the telephone because otherwise, they got in the way. Nowadays the majority of women who wear earrings have pierced ears because there is such a huge variety of earring styles and designs to choose from.

One of the most popular styles of earrings is the stud earring. Usually, these are the ones inserted in your ear when you go to have your ears pierced and they come in various designs and sizes. Although the most common shaped stud used when for the initial piercing is the gold ball stud, there is a wide selection of other designs to choose from, including options ranging from cubic zirconia heart stud earrings to ones made of white gold with cut diamonds. Obviously, I am biased and I love the heart jewelry options, but whichever ones you choose initially you will have to leave them in your ears for four to six weeks to allow your ears to heal and to stop the holes closing. Once the healing process has passed you can take your studs out and move on to wearing the earrings of your choice – and believe me the selection is virtually endless. You can choose from studs, chandelier, drop and hoop earrings to name the most common types, although for the first few months studs are the best to wear until the holes have healed fully. One cautionary note, lots of people can be sensitive to non-hypoallergenic earrings so always try to choose those that are marked as “hypoallergenic’ or wear gold, sterling silver or platinum to help prevent an allergic reaction. So which type of earring should you choose? This all comes down to personal taste, style, and occasion.

Personally, for everyday wear I choose studs, whether it is my white gold heart stud earrings to match my other heart jewelry, my sapphire and diamond earrings to match my wedding jewelry or my gold studs from New York (these are so comfortable). Most stud earrings are subtle and understated and suitable to wear to the office, to the grocery store or for coffee with friends. The more elaborate ones with precious gemstones like diamonds, rubies, and sapphires look really sophisticated when worn with a little black dress for more formal occasions. Some women choose to wear hoop earrings on a daily basis and look really good in them. Some young women look great in the larger hoop earrings but as you get older, if you are going to wear hoops the smaller ones are less flamboyant and I feel that these suit the older women better. Chandelier earrings and dangly earrings can look very feminine and glitzy especially for those special big ritzy events. Have you noticed how most of the celebrities choose these types of earrings for “red carpet” events and showbiz parties? Of course, they are dressed up in their designer gown and want to show it off to perfection, so the more sparkling their jewelry the more it complements their outfit. Mind you, when you see the size of some of those earrings it is a wonder they can hold their head up! I’m not sure I could cope with the weight of these beautiful designs and if I had long hair I would be worried that my hair would get caught in them. Having pierced ears certainly gives you more choice in the style of earrings available. However, if you don’t want to have your ears pierced you can still get heart stud earrings or even hoop earrings in a clip on or screw back.

Buying Tips – Sterling Silver Heart Earrings

Because the price of gold and gold jewelry has skyrocketed over the last year or so, many more people are turning to sterling silver jewelry as an alternative to gold, white gold, and platinum. Sterling silver has for centuries been a popular choice for jewelry as it is very malleable into many intricate designs and is very long lasting. So if you are looking to buy heart earrings, for yourself or as a gift for someone, then you should check out the enormous selection of sterling silver heart earrings that are available both in the chain jewelry stores in the Malls or from the many reputable retailers on the Internet. There are a number of things to consider when purchasing any sterling silver jewelry to ensure that you get the best quality, the right design for the recipient and value for money. Silver like gold and platinum is a precious metal and as with gold, it has many grades. Although the finest silver is 99.9% pure, this is found to be too soft to make practical, serviceable pieces so silver is usually alloyed with another tougher metal, usually copper, to produce a stronger more durable metal. Sterling silver is the highest grade used in the making of jewelry and other silver products and is hallmarked 925. This indicates that the piece is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. When buying any sterling silver heart jewelry (for example, heart rings, heart charms or a heart chain) be sure to check its authenticity and the grade of the metal by looking at the hallmark. Any reputable jeweler will be happy to help you do this.

Apart from the fact that sterling silver is often a cheaper alternative to white gold for jewelry pieces, it is also a very versatile metal and looks good with any outfit and can be worn for any occasion. Not only will it complement your work clothes but it will also look great with that little black dress for more formal events and will not look out of place on the beach or when teamed with T-shirt and jeans for a casual look. Check out magazines like Hello, OK and People to see what jewelry the models and celebrities are wearing. Many of them are choosing sterling silver. When choosing the style of heart earrings you wish to buy, another factor to take into consideration is the face shape of the person who will be wearing them. If the recipient has a round face then more elongated styles should be considered. For those with a more square shaped face, hoops or dangly or chandelier designs are more suited – while for a heart-shaped face, shorter length or studs look best. Ladies with oval-shaped faces can wear any design – studs, chandelier, hoops or drop earrings. If you plan to choose a pair of sterling silver heart earrings with gemstones set into them then consider which to choose by reference to eye color. Blue or green gemstones like sapphires, Lapis Lazuli, aquamarines, emeralds, peridots, and jade will emphasize the light eye colors such as blue, green or gray. On the other hand, amber, onyx, and yellow tourmalines are better suited for someone with darker eye colors. These are only guidelines and the final choice should be left to the individual because they may well have a favorite gemstone and may wish to coordinate with other pieces that they have in their jewelry box. Finally, when choosing silver heart earrings, especially if they are for someone other than you, think about the person they are for and their particular fashion style and the type of jewelry they usually wear. For instance, if the recipient tends to wear classical style jewelry then a pair of stud heart-shaped earrings would perhaps be the most appropriate, whereas, for a more flamboyant character, large hoops or chandelier heart earrings might be apter. Whoever they are for (yourself, a friend, relative or loved one) sterling silver heart earrings are an excellent choice, because there are so many designs to choose from, they can be worn in any setting and are easily teamed up with other pieces of heart jewelry like a silver heart locket or a sterling silver heart charm bracelet.

Is A Heart Earring Just The Start?

When you reach a certain age, like I have (let’s say middle age and maybe even a little more, for the purposes of these notes), you realize that you have some pretty entrenched views: for example, ladies are the gentler and fairer sex and have an affinity with jewelry such as heart earrings and diamond necklaces, while men are rougher and often less refined and regard the wearing of jewelry as somewhat effeminate. But you also realize that other younger people, and maybe the fringe element of people your own age, have some very different views and these can take you by surprise. Which brings me on to the question I want to pose: have you noticed the increasing trend of men, especially celebrities and NFL and basketball players, having both ears pierced and wearing matching diamond stud earrings? Is this the start of a trend that will spread? Maybe history can give us a clue – because while the idea of pierced ears for both men and women goes back centuries, there was a time when the practice for men went out of style. With its resurgence, and the fact that men are now wearing a style that one would usually think of as more for women, does it follow that they too will begin to choose other more traditionally feminine designs such as a heart earring? As far back as early civilization both men and women have been adorning themselves with jewelry including earrings. The ancient Egyptians were very accomplished jewelry makers and not only was the wearing of it a sign of wealth and status, but it was also important in ensuring a safe and trouble-free journey to the afterlife. When the tombs in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt were discovered, such as that of Tutankhamen, the range of different pieces of jewelry found was quite staggering – there were bracelets, amulets, rings, necklaces, earrings, headbands, belts, anklets (and gold vests which were unique to the Egyptian culture). In Old Testament biblical times there is a reference to the wearing of earrings by both of the sexes in Exodus chapter 32 verses 1-4. When the Israelites were in the wilderness and they were waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain they asked Aaron to make them an image of a god that they could follow. Aaron agreed to this and told them to bring him the gold earrings which were worn by the wives, sons, and daughters. Wearing earrings remained fashionable for both men and women until the Early Middle Ages but then the trend died out for a while. During the 1900s, sailors made the wearing of earrings by men popular again. One reason for the return of this trend was they believed that if they were lost at sea, when their body washed ashore, whoever found it would take the earring and use it to pay for a proper burial for them. Having a pierced ear also signified that the sailor had crossed the equator or sailed around the world. The modern trend of men having their ears pierced goes back to the hippie culture of the 1960s and 1970s. Let’s be honest, this was a time of breaking away from conventionality and the perceived stuffiness of the older generation (my father was in the Royal Air Force, and my father in law was in the Royal Marines during World War Two and I somehow cannot imagine them wearing an earring!). During this time there was a debate as to which ear a man should have pierced depending on his sexual orientation; gay men should have their right ear done while heterosexual guys should choose the left. Nowadays, this no longer applies as having both ears pierced is becoming increasingly the norm and even if only one ear is pierced (whether left or right) it does not signify a man’s sexual preferences. Now that some men are becoming “metrosexual”, taking more pride in their looks and wardrobe, using products such as moisturizers and makeup (things I know my parents would have thought “unmanly”) maybe jewelry designs for men will change as well. In an earlier post I suggested that men are still not seen wearing a heart chain, but maybe if one of the professional athletes or male celebrities started wearing some heart jewelry then maybe we would see a heart earring, or heart chain selection in the men’s jewelry section in stores. So look our for heart bracelets, heart necklaces, and heart charms to populate the men’s jewelry section and join up with the heart earring offerings as well.

Heart Shaped Earrings – The Right Choice?

Following on from my previous posts about heart jewelry for men and it not being something anyone can see becoming fashionable any time soon, because it would look silly or girlie on them, I decided to have some fun and ask family members and friends which males they would like to see being made to wear say heart-shaped earrings, a heart ring, heart pendants or other heart jewelry to make them look ridiculous and a laughing stock. Most of the people I asked could come up with someone they wanted to look stupid without too much thought and not all of them chose celebrities or people in the public eye. For instance, one of the people, who used to work for one of big five consulting firms, chose as their candidate one of the partners in the firm. This guy was a typical little man with a big ego “puffed up and full of his own self-importance”.He should be made to wear heart-shaped earrings because he was an “obnoxious twerp who deserved to be made to look silly”. Knowing the commentator as I do, it must have been entertaining to see the working relationship that the two had! At the time I did this survey the World Cup was in full swing and the England team was playing particularly badly and without any enthusiasm for winning a match. My husband is a big soccer fan and was absolutely disgusted with his team’s performance and so he chose the whole of the England football squad to wear heart earrings, heart bracelets, heart rings, and necklaces. His reasoning was that they played like a bunch of girls and so they deserved to be made to look like girls. While I agree that they were anything like the macho men they think they are, I thought his comments were cruel and unfair to women! Recently there have been surveys done that have found that couples have a sixth sense and often know what the other is thinking and have similar ideas. This proved true when I was talking to friends and family even though I spoke to them separately. One of the couples independently chose the Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Renaldo and they would both like to see him wearing heart earrings. The husband said that he chose Renaldo because he is so arrogant and he wants him to look stupid. His wife’s reasoning was that Renaldo is so conceited and full of himself. Yet another couple chose Simon Cowell of American Idol fame and again they both picked the same item of jewelry – a heart necklace. The lady said she would like to see him wearing a big heart medallion as the heart shape and its symbolism is the polar opposite of him because he comes across as quite heartless. On the other hand, the guy chose the heart necklace for Simon Cowell because he’d look ridiculous and because he is so in love with himself. As I said earlier, not all of the respondents picked famous people to nominate. One guy selected one of his neighbors who he would like to see with big heart-shaped hoop earrings or a big heart necklace because he is such a big homophobe. On the other hand, another of the guys wanted his brother to wear heart rings “because he’d look funny and silly so I could laugh at him and he’d be embarrassed”. Obviously some sibling rivalry there! I was rather surprised that only one politician was on the list. This was Jack Straw, a British Labour Party MP and former Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary, and Justice Minister. The person who suggested him also chose an unusual piece of heart jewelry – a tiara with diamonds on it. When asked why they would like to see this particular Member of Parliament wearing this the answer was, and I quote, “To make him look like a complete fool as everything he says is wrong and he’s a complete waste of space”. Not much love lost there then! My own choice would be any number of the car salesmen I have come across over the years (both in the USA and the UK) who even in this day and age think that women have no knowledge of what they are talking about when it comes to buying a car. There was one occasion when the salesman actually told me to come back with my husband when I asked to go on a test drive! I would like to see these guys wearing the biggest, flashiest, vulgar pieces of heart jewelry so that they can look as stupid as they sound when they come out with sexist comments. So have some fun of your own and think about which male celebrity, politician or work colleague you would like to see looking ridiculous wearing heart-shaped earrings or any other item of heart jewelry.

Silver Heart Earrings And Men

In a recent post, I wrote about the increasing trend for celebrity men to have both their ears pierced and to wear diamond stud earrings. Recently I saw Jerry Rice on the TV when his shirt was being retired, and he was wearing a pair of fairly large hoop earrings and once again my views on men wearing earrings were brought to the fore. I have already said that maybe my views were perhaps outdated and not shared by the younger generation and even people of my own age, so I decided to find out if this really was the case by asking my friends, family and their children what they thought about men wearing jewelry, earrings in particular. In particular, could they ever see a time when men would choose to wear heart jewelry? The ages of those I asked ranged from early teens to middle age and of both sexes. The responses I got from the teenagers really surprised me as I thought maybe it was a generational thing and that I was no longer up with current trends and fashions. My friend’s thirteen-year-old daughter, the youngest of the group and very into fashion and modern trends, wrinkled her nose and said that she thought earrings on men were weird and she didn’t like them. She suggested that some men’s jewelry was acceptable (a gold chain, an identity bracelet, a wedding ring and watch maybe) but nothing flashy or vulgar and certainly not any heart jewelry. Another friend’s fifteen-year-old son said that “jewelry doesn’t look very good on men”. The only piece that he thinks is acceptable for a man is a watch and he believes that earrings look stupid, especially the silver heart earrings that he has seen!

An older teenage girl was more accepting of men wearing some form of jewelry but she said that it would have to be very subtle and it would depend on the man wearing it. Although not totally against men having pierced ears, she was not keen on the idea of having both ears done or the wearing of diamond studs. She laughed at the idea of men sporting a heart necklace or heart earrings but was more accepting of a pair of heart cufflinks such as the open heart design because they are not overtly heart-shaped.

Moving on to the next age group, twenty to thirty-year-olds, their answers were very similar to those of the teens. One of the guys said that lots of men look ridiculous in jewelry of any kind although he did go on to say that some guys do look okay with two ears pierced. He went on to say that men’s jewelry pieces should be simple such as a wedding band, a simple chain or cufflinks. On the subject of heart jewelry, his comments were “I’ve never seen heart jewelry on a man or for a man and I don’t see it becoming fashionable or being something that men would wear”. Yet another of the guys was not a fan of men’s jewelry apart from a wedding ring, maybe a pinky ring and cufflinks. He too could not imagine heart-shaped jewelry becoming fashionable for guys especially not heart earrings. The only piece of heart jewelry he could ever see himself wearing would be a pair of cufflinks if somebody bought them for him. The ladies in this age group were equally not keen to see men wearing earrings. As one of them put it: “Men shouldn’t wear earrings not even celebrities. No guy looks goods in these”. They also agreed that if men were to wear jewelry it needed to be minimal and understated not big and chunky perhaps a simple ring or a thread bracelet. And in their view “there should be no hearts whatsoever on men’s jewelry”.

One of my good friends who are very into the latest fashion trends surprised me when she said that she hated men with pierced ears especially if both of them were pierced this – the word she used to describe it was “chavvy”. She was also not keen on jewelry for men generally and certainly not heart jewelry which would be far too effeminate. Two other friends (married to each other but asked at different times) shared similar opinions on the idea of men wearing jewelry. Both were very much against the idea of guys having their ears pierced and while the wife said that it was okay for men to wear a wedding ring or watch her husband said that any sort of jewelry on a man was “girlie”. One thing they both agreed on was that heart jewelry was feminine and definitely not for men.

Lastly, I asked my husband and his best friend their thoughts on the subject of men’s jewelry and whether they would ever wear heart jewelry. My husband’s reaction to the idea of heart jewelry for men was that it would be a contradiction as these designs are feminine and seen as “soppy” rather than macho and masculine. When it comes to other jewelry items for men he is very much a traditionalist and is okay with signet rings, wedding rings, watches, and cuff links but thinks that chains, earrings, and bracelets are worn by men to show off. In his words “fine if they want to wear them but I think they look silly”. His friend had similar things to say about the wearing of jewelry by men suggesting that it was “used as a status symbol and as a way to attract women”. The wearing of a gold medallion by a man, he implied, is a peacock type thing displaying his finery to attract the opposite sex. Unlike most of the other men, he thought that there was certainly one piece of heart jewelry that should be available for men to wear, a cheating heart pendant for guys who are unfaithful to their partners!

So, if my friends’ views are anything to go by it doesn’t look like heart jewelry and in particular, silver heart earrings will become a fashion accessory for men any time soon. However, if you had asked me a few years ago if guys would be wearing diamond studs in both of their ears I would have said I don’t think so. Shows how much I know doesn’t it?