Hoop earrings are a common fashion statement these days within many kinds of people. Whether male or female, or which country you’re from, this accessory has been around for a while. Originating from the fourth century in Nubia, the invention of this jewelry was for fashion purposes but ultimately became customary to wear for both men and women. Through the centuries, the significance of the hoop earring has had much impact in different cultures. For example, as stated in a NGBA article titled A Brief History of The Hoop and It’s Complex Implications Chantalou explains that “Julius Caesar is responsible for the gold hoop adhering to a status of wealth.” In more modern times, especially in New York, there has been a connotation of race attached to the item for either being viewed as “ghetto” or just as a fashion accessory. Whether it be Nubian fashion, King Julius Caesar or typical New York fashion, the invention of the hoop earring has gone through many years of transformation, centuries long.
The hoop earring is simple with very little complexities. In terms of material, the piece can be made of bronze, gold, silver, sterling silver or even any malleable material such as copper. In its creation there are four steps to making a hoop earring, all of which will be explained and elaborated on in greater detail. The first and arguably the most important part of this process is deciding what type of metal you want to craft this piece of jewelry out of. As stated, the options are not limited whatsoever and can virtually be made out of any commonly used metal material. For the Pagoda earring demonstrated in this paper, it will be crafted out of gold. After the metal is selected, the crafter will create the four pieces that make the final product; the C catch, the straight flat wire, the flat joint, and the actual hoop. These four items have come together to be a cultural staple and fashion statement for centuries, with different meanings for different time periods in earth’s history. This simple yet beautiful accessory has shown to be more than just four simple pieces of metal attached to each other. Below is a figure of the Pagoda hoop earring.
The hoop earring functions very simply, the straight flat wire goes through the hole in an earlobe and clamps into the C catch. From there, it elegantly hangs on the ear. The hoop earring is as easy to remove as it is to wear.
The C catch, shown in the figure above, is part of the earring that fastens the flat wire. Generally, the top of the C catch is made slightly thicker than the bottom. By doing so, it keeps the earring from falling out of a person’s ear lobe. In modern times, the C catch could be considered what is now the back of the earring, since other earrings do not use a C catch to fasten a flat wire. Instead, the user attaches a completely separate bud of plastic or metal as opposed to how the Pagoda hoop earring is worn by itself. The C catch is initially made separate but attached directly onto the earring itself after production. It is a small “u” shaped piece of metal that can curve out at the tips of its lines but this is not always the case. This merely depends on the craftsman, however for this Pagoda earring it is curved.
This specific C catch’s purpose is to act as the binder for holding a straight flat wire in place. As one would guess, the C catch’s main mechanism is the security of the earring on the user’s ear. It should also be noted that the C catch is permanently attached to the earring itself because if it wasn’t then everything would fall apart. The C catch is characteristically small, however the size is up to the manufacturer’s discretion and taste.
The next part which can be focused on is the straight flat wire. As mentioned, the C catch is attached on to by the flat wire, holding the earring in place. The straight flat wire isn’t too much of an intricate or complicated invention. In Layman’s terms, it is simply just a straight piece of metal, as depicted in the photo below.
For this Pagoda earring, there is a small hole on one side of the flat wire that acts as a junction for the flat joint to attach to. Whether it be gold, silver, bronze, etc. the design can vary depending on the maker. This earring has a straight flat wire, but other wires could be made in a curve or bend. Similar to the C catch, this comes down to design preference and what the maker wants the jewelry to look like. It should be noted that the body of the flat wire is always the same, with the exception of the material used. The ends of the flat wire are where the design can vary, and there are a few variations.
One of these variations can consist of the ends of the wire thinning off into a sharp needle-like edge. This is for instances where a piercing is created on a virgin earlobe. Another would be a more rounded off edge, for users who already have a piercing on their earlobe that can be switched out. The variation of sharp edge or rounded edge can be up to preference of the wearer after the earlobe has been initially pierced and healed over time. However, the sharp edge is absolutely necessary when a person is getting pierced for the first time. In addition to the sharp or round edge, we have one in which there is an opening on one side for the flat joint, like shown in the image above. The image below depicts the flat joint that is attached.
This part is an essential part of the earring which could be easily overlooked. The flat joint is what connects everything together and keeps the earring itself intact. Like the name suggests, it is flat in nature and loops through the straight flat wire. As it has previously been explained, the straight flat wire has a hole on its backside in which the flat joint comes in and is pushed through that hole. The flat joint is rounded on its edges and has about three sides to it. This is also in a “U” shape of sorts, if looked at from the side. It is a thin circle on one side and on its other side there is another circle with a hole. The reason for this hole is because there is a small bar that is attached to the non-hole side that goes through the hole side. This bar has no name but is regarded as an “extra” part of the flat joint.
When looking at the part head on. it is very thin and carries that “U” shape. Upon further inspection, it’s bar goes through the hole of the straight flat wire and also through the flat itself and is closed off with a piece of metal being placed onto it for security. The metal is there and will not move and is therefore permanently attached and solidifies the flat joint’s place on the earring. It should be noted that the flat joint is melted onto the earring itself and not a separate or movable part, as this would just defeat the whole purpose of its creation in the first place.
The last component of the earring is the hoop itself, as shown in the very first photo, it is a simple design that can vary in thickness and in length or size. It is merely a hoop that has a section open which is its topside. On one side the C catch attaches to the earring, and on the other side of the opening would be the flat joint.
As this paper has shown, hoop earrings have a simple but elegantly functioning design. Each part is essential it it’s own way, and collectively functions as a fashion accessory. More than anything, this accessory is simple in its design but clever in its construction, with each part conjoining gracefully. The four components that come together to make a whole are connected like a circle, just like the hoop. It has been around for centuries and has been a core component in fashion and will most likely still be for centuries to come, based on its history and creation.
