Heart Jewelry Choices, Heart Jewellery Allure

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 any 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 clip on or screw back.

When you 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 it’s 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, it was 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, head bands, 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 round the world.

The modern trend of men having their ears pierced goes back to the hippie culture of the 1960s and 1970s.  Lets 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 is 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 make up (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 a 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.

Special events in one’s life are made even more memorable when commemorated with a personalized gift to mark the occasion.  And for that very special lady in your life nothing would say how much she means to you on such a momentous day than presenting her with a heart pendant.  Just like many other kinds of heart jewelry, the great thing about heart pendants is the fact that they are a fabulous gift no matter what age you’re buying for.  A heart pendant can also cater for many different tastes as well as ages: if, for example, the person you’re buying for likes diamond jewelry or pearl jewelry, you can find heart shaped pieces that include these gems – so there’s something for everyone!

Take a look at some of the many heart pendants that you can choose from in jewelry stores in the mall or on-line to see what I mean.  We’re obviously biased on this web site because our focus is about all kinds of heart jewelry: whether it’s heart charms, heart bracelets or heart earrings we’re great fans.  But there is something extra special about a heart pendant and maybe that’s because it stays the closest to your own heart when you’re wearing it.

I suppose the first special day in every couple’s life is when they celebrate their first Valentines Day together.  Although there are lots of gifts you could choose to shower her with like flowers, chocolates and soft toys, picking out a specially selected heart shaped pendant would really let her know that she has your heart.  Because there are is such a large variety of designs made from many different kinds of precious and semi precious metals finding one that will fit your budget should not be difficult.

What a lovely gift a gold heart pendant would make from the parents of a daughter to their loved one on her wedding day.  It would serve to remind her that although someone else now has her heart she is still in their heart and always will be.  It a real and explicit message that parental love lasts forever.

Another special day that will always live in your memory is that of the birth of your children.  Clearly the days leading up to and immediately after the birth are a whirlwind of emotion and activity, but if the prospective Dad can take some time out to buy a heart pendant for his new arrival, that action will highlight the day even more for the lifetime to come.  Buying a heart locket personalized with date, name and picture of the proud parents and their new addition will be a lasting memento of this happy event.   I particularly like the Sterling Silver Family Heart Locket from Things Remembered (see left) as you can add more photographs as your family grows.

Heart pendants also make the perfect anniversary gift no matter how many years you are celebrating.  Presenting your loved one with a silver or gold heart necklace engraved with a personalized message, on your 25th wedding anniversary or your Golden anniversary, will show her that she’s still loved even though you’ve been together a long time.  It’s a wonderful way to recognize the times you’ve shared throughout the years.

Although heart pendants make a superb gift for a man to give to his loved one on special celebratory days to show how much she means to him, they are suitable for anyone to give as a present to show someone they are loved.  A child giving a heart shaped necklace to Mom on Mother’s Day will show her that she is loved even if she is not told this as often as she would like.  Giving a heart pendant to Grandma, whether she’s 50 or 90, as a birthday present will bring a smile to her face every time she wears it and she will show it off with pride letting everyone know she is loved.

So whatever the occasion to be celebrated or for a “just because” present heart pendants make the ideal gift and tell the recipient they are truly loved.

When it comes to choosing a gift for a new baby girl, most people don’t immediately think about jewelry (for example, heart bracelets or charms) but instead they focus on other things such as clothes, blankets, bibs and any number of other practical items.  But babies are made to love and to show the love you feel for this new little person – so what better gift than jewelry, especially heart jewelry?

I particularly like the heart bracelets and heart charms that are available in stores and on-line that can be personalized especially for baby.

Stores such as Things Remembered have some beautiful heart bracelets that you can have engraved with the child’s name or initials.  One I really like is the Birthstone Angel bracelet.  Not only can you have the heart engraved with the baby’s name and birthday but you can buy a matching necklace to go with it.

Another unique gift idea would be a starter charm bracelet that can be added to over time to commemorate milestones in baby’s life.  This truly would be a lasting gift that could become a memories bracelet to pass on to the next generation.

A number of babies have their ears pierced so why not choose from the selection of gold or silver earrings that are available?  Loveivy has a selection of children’ jewellery and you can find some cute birthstone heart earrings.

There are any number of different heart charms to choose from that can be engraved with a special message.  A heart locket engraved with either a name or special date makes a lovely gift.  If a photo of mom and dad is put inside as the little girl gets older she will always have a keepsake of how her parents looked when she was born.

Although it is mostly little girls who wear jewellery there are some pieces that you can buy for a baby boy.  If dad or mom is a soccer fan how about getting a soccer pendant or if they are baseball fans there is the engraved baseball pendant?  Or equally popular for little boys would be a St Christopher pendant.

There are lots of other personalized gifts to choose from that are suitable for both baby girls and baby boys, for instance a personalized piggy bank or “My First Year” album or even a personalized brush and comb set.

Whether you are choosing from a range of heart bracelets, heart earrings, heart charms or sports charms or other assorted items, choosing a personalized gift for that special bundle of joy will show how much you care.

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 jewellery.  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 jewellery store to get it done.  And the reason I eventually had it done was because I liked the dainty stud earrings that were not available in clip–on ones.  I already has 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 jewellery 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 afterwards 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.