The Supreme Importance of the Earclip
Among the various articles of adornment that a woman can acquire, the one that can make the most startling changes in her appearance is the earclip. Properly chosen, earclips can do more to bring out a woman’s best features than any other jewel, and one can play more tricks with a pair of earclips than with one’s make-up.
A few generations back, the ears were beneath consideration; that is, they were beneath the hairdo. Daguerreotypes of our grandmothers show coiffures that completely cover the ears. The “problem of the ear lobe,” that least attractive feature of the face, did not arise. But when the horse-and-buggy days were succeeded by our time of streamlined cars and jet planes, hair styles were also streamlined. The contour of the face is thus more fully revealed, and the function of the earclip is to give that contour distinction and style.
Earrings Through the Ages
In earlier periods when the hair was piled high on the head, or left to flow behind, the earring was also prominent. Indeed, the history of adornment might be summed up in the story of the jeweled appendages attached to the ear.
Men were adorned, in earlier days, fully as much as women. They wore not only finger rings but earrings. At one of the oldest known cities, Ur of the Chaldees, a gold earring has been unearthed from the sarcophagus of a monarch who ruled 4,700 years ago. The burial place of the Pharaoh Tutankhamen, dug up in 1922, contained amber earrings. Ancient Assyrian kings, with their hierarchy of priests and their cohorts of soldiers, are shown on ancient carvings—all with adornments for the ears. When Moses was up in the clouds on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments on tables of stone, Aaron in the valley, preparing to make gods for the people, said unto them: “Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons....”
As the Roman Republic grew effeminate with wealth and luxury, earrings were more popular among men than women; no less a “he-man” than Julius Caesar himself brought back to repute and fashion the use of rings in the ears of men. In Persia of the thirteenth century, the vogue was so popular that the Sassanian kings had engravings of themselves, wearing their earrings, set as signet stones upon their fingers.
Elizabethan England found earrings tossed with the heads of Italianate dandiprats. Shakespeare’s Othello wore them, and to our own day the stage Moor (as well as the cinema pirate) wears a gold loop in at least one ear. But through the next century the English macaronis (fops who are mocked in our “Yankee Doodle” song) continued to flaunt earrings upon the Puritan public. Charles I of England went to his execution in 1649 disdainfully dressed in all his finery, including a ring in his right ear. Perhaps it was the lopping of that royal head that helped to end the fashion for men.
Women, however, have continued to wear earrings to enhance their beauty. At times, when other jewels were growing oversized, the earrings also grew enormous. In Sumer, over four thousand years ago, Queen Shubad wore great golden half-moons. Women in ancient Phoenicia vied with one another in the size of their earrings. Old Etruscan ear ornaments bore little boxes for perfume or for charms. In the fourth century B.C. the Greek hetaerae wore cupids on their ears. Queen Victoria, twenty-three centuries later, saw the vogue of gold-rimmed cameos close against the ears, from which hung larger cameos. But whether it be the stalwart Bahri matron in Central Africa who slips through her ear lobe half a hundred separate loops of elephant hair, or the proud Zulu maiden who has stretched her lobes until an ivory tube half an inch in diameter is pushed through, or the dainty city lass with a pearl clipped close upon each ear—the earring is an almost universal jewel, worn as an adjunct to human beauty.
The Significance of the Ears
Perhaps the prevalence of the earrings indicates that something is wrong with the ear. It is an essential organ, well placed and well shaped for its function, but aesthetically a bit obtrusive. For note that the ears, while they frame the face, are amenable to none of the usual resources of cosmetics. The hair, in addition to being neatly styled, can be variously tinted. Proper application of powder and color can seem to alter the shape or the length of the nose. The cheeks can not only be colored but by deft use of powder and rouge can be given a different outline. The eyes can be accented with color; they can be made more naive or more beguiling. The lips can be made to seem smaller, more sweetly innocent, more bold. But when all the make-up skills have been applied, the ears remain unaltered.
And yet the look of the ears may make or mar the whole appearance. The choice of earclips, it should be clear, must depend not upon the attractiveness of the jewel but upon the effect it has in ameliorating the facial features. Earclips can play up a small, dainty nose, or minimize a large one. Earclips can, according as she chooses them, make a woman look younger or older, smarter, more sophisticated, or more simple and sweet—and always prettier.
The Earclip and the Facial Contour
Other jewels may with some degree of safety be purchased from the box. A ring, even a brooch, will not alter much from the way it looks on the velvet of a counter or the satin of a case. But an earclip becomes part of the contour of a face. It must be seen, as others will see it, from various angles, profile and full face. Since no two ears, no two sides of the same face, are exactly alike, both clips should be tried on, and their effect carefully examined. They should be looked at without a hat, so that the whole sweep of the head may be considered. Conversely, when hats are being tried on, one’s favorite earclips should be worn to judge their effect with the contemplated hat. However large or tiny—a band of velvet or a fluff of feathers—the hat and the clips should complement one another.
On some faces, at certain angles, there is a space between the earlobe and the cheek. As this breaks the harmony of line, it should be covered by the clip. In such cases, the earclip should be worn as close as possible to the face. If the cheekbones are large or high, suggesting hollows below, a large earclip, properly placed, will seem to fill out the face. Heavy earclips could be set in palladium, the lightest of the major jewel metals. Sometimes a piquant contour can be created, as when a soft hat is tilted down over one ear, with the earclip worn only in the uncovered ear. The second clip may then be worn on the jacket lapel or on the dress.
The Shape of Your Face
The general pattern of the face is what must be first considered in the selection of an earclip. An oval face usually goes with a longer neck; therefore the eye of the viewer should be tempted to minimize the distance between the ear lobe and the shoulder. Dangling earclips, or clips with pendants, will produce this effect—provided they are not too wide, for width in an earclip makes the face look narrower. And clips that are too long make one look older. But the oval face will appear chic with a pendant clip, with stones of different colors and sizes which, against a round face, would seem vulgar or overdone. If the face tends to be long and thin, it will be rounded by earclips broad at the base, tapering toward and perhaps curving around the upper rim of the ear.
A round face, contrariwise, calls for earclips that can be worn close. This ensures a youthful appearance. Large, semicircular earclips will look well, or those with clusters of tiny flowers, grouped as a bouquet. Tiny stones set on prongs, as in pincushions, or sunbursts, will provide a rich frame to the round face.
If the chin tends to be heavy, the earclips should be accented with color and have an upswept look. Long earclips are permissible, if not thin but rich-looking and full. In this case, however, they should be worn only with full décolleté or strapless gown.
Obviously, small earclips should be avoided on the round face; they will make it seem broader and the features heavier. Similarly, little bowknots will seem childish. Any design that merely follows the lines of the ear lobe will accentuate the roundness, which properly chosen earclips will not emphasize but use to full advantage.
Details of the Face
Other aspects of the features should be considered in the selection of earclips. Moles or other minor blemishes may be counteracted by proper distribution of color accents. Scars from cosmetic and other operations can be cleverly hidden by correctly designed earclips. They may make a hearing aid completely invisible.
A dull or colorless complexion can be brightened with multicolored earclips and necklaces. The colors of the precious stones will reflect and shed their glow upon the skin. Bold colors will lend their drama to the face.
On eyeglasses, all color should be shunned. Rhinestone-studded or multicolored frames call attention to themselves. The purpose of eyeglasses is purely functional; they should be left unobtrusive, not made competitors of the clip.
Whatever one’s complexion, it can be embellished by earclips of appropriate gems. Almost any complexion, however, will be flattered by the soft red glow of the ruby or the sparkle of the diamond. If a woman—because it is her birthstone or for other reasons of taste or sentiment—is partial to a stone that does not suit her complexion, it can be joined with rubies and diamonds so that it will do lovely things for the skin.
The larger the earclip, within the proportions of the head, the smaller seems the nose. But a woman with a large or pronounced nose should avoid upswept and backswept earclips which follow the line of the ear lobe; these will stress the vertical lines of the face and accentuate the very characteristics that should be minimized. Dome-shaped earclips so worn that, profile in the mirror, they point forward at the top, will underplay the prominence of the nose. This simple trick of bringing the earclips forward will bring the countenance into proper harmony.
Versatile Earclips
An effective earclip, adjustable to many contours, is one that rims both the top and the bottom of the ear. One of the jewels with which I won the “Diamond U.S.A. Award” was such a pair of earclips. It consists of two crescent moons of baguette diamonds flanked by pearls. These are held in place by a platinum wire that disappears behind the ear. The crescents are of slightly different sizes. The clip is reversible, so that the larger crescent may be worn at either top or bottom, whichever arrangement gives a more graceful contour, according to the hat, the hairdo and the proportions of the face. Many patterns of such reversible double clips can be devised.
The Hair and the Earclip
Especially to be considered is the harmony of the earclip and the hair. To those who enjoy a short hair styling, the earclip adds softness and helps establish the contour of the face. It is less an adjunct than a completion of the coiffure. Those who prefer a chignon will find that flower earclips tend to soften the severity of the style.
The Brunette
Medium brown or brunette hair suggests earclips of pearls and diamonds worn close to the face. The creamy lustre of the pearl and the sparkling brilliance of the diamond form a delectable contrast to the brunette coloring. Turquoises and rubies, as well as corals, are also becoming, close to the face as color accents to the skin. For the less formal occasion, topazes—which run the gamut of color from the golden yellow of honey to the reddish brown of Madeira wine—may work magic for the dark-eyed girl. If not exaggerated, a gypsy style earclip may add an exotic touch to the brunette. This must, however, be kept within proper size, and carefully examined from profile to guard against an extreme effect.
If one’s complexion is light, aquamarines will be attractive set in platinum or gold. To be avoided are dark sapphires with their colorings of deepest blue, amethysts of the velvety purple hue and garnets with their deep red cast and undertones of brown. If there are compelling reasons for wearing clips that contain any of these gems, they should, by all means, be set in gold and offset with diamonds. A few diamonds, however small, sprinkled around another gem will add to the general effect of beauty.
The Darkhaired
For the black-haired woman with blue or grey eyes, the most becoming stones are aquamarine in red gold or golden topaz in yellow gold—both of these combined with sapphires. If the eyes are brown, the aquamarines should be set in platinum and worn with rubies.
The Redhead
Those who have red hair and a fair complexion will find that the most becoming colors for the ears are the translucent green of the emerald, the opaque green of the jade, the brilliant blue of the sapphire and the various shades of the amethyst, from lilac to deep purple. Brown and yellow colors, as in the topaz and red gold, are to be shunned. Pearls may be worn, but only if the lustre is pink. Other pearls will appear chalky against a fair complexion and will not complement a rosy coloring. For the background of the colored stones, it is best to choose a light-colored gold or platinum.
The Blonde
For those with fair skin and platinum hair, rubies, amethysts and aquamarines will do wonders. Pearls, alone or in combination with diamonds, will enhance the soft shades of the hair. Diamond earclips, especially set in loops and floral designs, will provide a regal look.
If the hair is blonde, sapphires, aquamarines, topazes, turquoises and rubies will underline its golden hue. With blue, grey or hazel eyes, deep sapphires are particularly effective. With darker eyes, mixed rubies and sapphires accord, or topaz set in yellow gold. Pearls should be cream-colored to do their best for a blonde. In the designs and settings, the plain metallic look of gold and silver should be avoided; little of any metal should be seen and colored stones should be dispersed throughout the earclip.
As the Hair Turns Grey
The transition to grey hair is most pleasantly accompanied along the line of the ears, by using the same earclips with the addition of diamonds. With full grey hair, diamonds alone are superb, though if the complexion is light some color will still prove charming. Best would be amethyst with turquoise set in platinum, or Madeira topaz with sapphires set in gold.
Important Considerations in Selecting Earclips
Women who are slender and petite should select earclips with an airy appearance. An earclip can be large, yet still be light and airy. Such a clip may be designed of pierced metal, lacy and delicate, or of twisted gold, platinum or palladium. Long diamond earclips are appropriate only for formal occasions and for evening wear.
It must be stressed that earclips should be tried on before they are finally selected. Some women, admiring a pair of clips on a friend, mistakenly assume that what is beautiful on one person will likewise be an adornment for another. Not only each countenance but each pair of ears is different. Large lobes may be covered by attaching the clips at a different angle. Shaking the head when trying them on will indicate the necessity for adjustment if the clips tend to slide to a different position.
Because no two ear lobes are exactly the same, both clips must be tried on. What is too tight on one ear may be too loose on the other. If the difference is great, the jeweler can make a tiny mark by which the clips may be distinguished.
Careful testing, apart from the question of fit, is particularly important when the earclips are ready-made. The designer in such a case had no single individual in mind, but a simple adjustment may turn a routine clip into one that establishes itself as a personal adjunct to beauty.
An earclip may sometimes, by an invisible attachment on the back, be converted into a hair ornament or a clip to be worn on the dress. Earclips with pendants can be so fashioned that the pendants may be changed or the hanging part removed for less formal occasions. For any occasion, from a business engagement to the most formal function, earclips are an essential and most effective part of a woman’s jewels.