Clip On Earrings

While traditional post earrings date back to our planet’s earliest peoples, the clip-on earring is a relatively recent revolution dating to the 19th-century Victorian era. At the time, new en vogue up-dos meant women’s ears were being seen more frequently, and while many women wanted the sparkle of an earring to adorn those lobes, they didn’t want to endure what they thought of as the distasteful procedure of ear piercing.

Clip-on earrings solved this problem and created an entirely new niche for jewelry design. From the elegant diamanté clusters popular during the Jazz Age to the tasteful Chanel gold and pearl logo studs, clip-on earrings had secured their place in jewelry history by the early decades of the 20th century. They continue to dazzle today, with clip-ons appearing from the fashion runway to the federal government.

Quick Facts

• The earliest clip-on earrings were secured to the lobe by screw mechanism that, while secure, was not the most comfortable. The solution was the use of a hinged spring clip, introduced in the 1930s, which hugs the ear without pinching it