The art of ear piercing is one of the oldest known forms of body modification with written references from cultures around the world dating back to early history. Hoop Earrings have been worn for many years by both males and females. The earliest signs of earrings worn by males are found on the walls of Perspolis in ancient Persia. There are carved images of the soldiers from various parts of the Persian Empire on some of the surviving walls of the palace that show the soldiers wearing an ear ring.
Hoop Earrings are circular or semi-circular in design. Most often, hoop earrings are constructed of metal tubing, with a thin wire attachment that penetrates the ear. The hollow tubing is permanently attached to the wire at the front of the ear, and sides into the tube at the back. The entire hoop earring is held together by tension between the wire and the tube. Hoop Earrings are also constructed in two different ways. Some of the Hoop Earring designs in the collection do not complete the circle, but penetrate through the ear in a post, using the same attachment techniques that apply to stud earrings. Other pairs of Hoop Earrings have a round attachment dangling from a French hook.
Many of our hoops in the Hoop Earrings Collection were created by Zuni artists and Navajo artists, including the Tahe Family; however, our collection also includes Hoop Earrings that cannot be authenticated. We feature Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings, Silver Coral Hoop Earrings, Silver Multi-Stone Inlaid Hoop Earrings, Silver Turquoise Hoop Earrings, and Silver Lapis Hoop Earrings as well as Gold Hoop Earrings.
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