_The Earclip_
_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.