Some Fun History on Male Jewelry
In today’s world, men wearing jewelry is making a comeback from years past. It wasn’t long ago that most men chose a wedding ring and that was pretty much it. History tells us, however, that such wasn’t always the case. As a matter of fact, wearing jewelry was not only popular among men, it was a sign of status and wealth.
Earrings for men were a definite fashion trend during the Renaissance. They were a way of showing off wealth, but history shows there was another reason men put pearls in their ears: they felt it made them look handsome. Or perhaps a bit rakish. Either way, the popularity of dangling pearl earrings grew. There could be drawbacks to wearing them, however, if you happened to be a king who fell out of favor. Charles I insisted on wearing his pearl to his execution. History records that as soon as his head fell, there was a mad dash to see who could retrieve the earring.
One group of men in particular had a fascination for wearing earrings (and we think of them as part of their costume to this day): pirates. While noble men used them as a way of showing off wealth, pirates had an even greater motive for having those dangling hoops in their ears. The jewelry was a way to ensure the means for their friends or family to give them a proper burial when they eventually met their demise. The precious metal could be melted down after their death to pay for the funeral.
Rings were also a way to show powerful alliances. Family crests were popular on such rings and men wore them to show their powerful allies. Such rings could also be used to imprint on sealing wax for letters, giving their personal seal of approval to the communication.
The connection between jewelry and men goes back even further. Ancient Celts were fond of wearing gold torcs, or necklaces and ancient Egyptians wore not only necklaces and rings but also armbands of gold adorned with precious stones. And one of the earliest forms of male jewelry was worn by ancient Greeks: crowns made of laurel leaves.
Today men have a variety of fashionable jewelry to choose from when it comes to their adornment.
From the Library: Tanner, Navajo Silver Craft (1954)
1954 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1954, not today.
Tanner (1954, p. 30) reported that Navajo “longhairs,” men who still wore their hair in the traditional queue, wore turquoise ear pendants, the only earring style Navajo men wore by then. [1]
Writing in 1954, Tanner recalled two older men's styles:
“many years ago they sported two types, one a large hoop earring, usually with small and hollow silver balls at the bottom, and a second elongate pendant type with a pomegranate form suspended from the bottom.”
— Tanner (1954), p. 30 [1]
From the Library: Franciscan Fathers, An Ethnologic Dictionary of the Navaho Language (1910)
1910 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1910, not today.
On rings, the Franciscan Fathers (1910) noted a difference between men and women:
“The men, as a rule, are content with one or two rings, but the women frequently wear a half-dozen on each hand.”
— Franciscan Fathers (1910), p. 283 [2]
Writing in 1910, the Franciscan Fathers described the ear ornaments of Navajo men of their day:
“They all have the lobes of their ears pierced, and from them are dangling ear-pendants, made either of a flat piece of polished turquoise, or a small string of thin disks of turquoise, or of good-sized silver rings, some of which have one or more loosely sliding beads strung upon them.”
— Franciscan Fathers (1910), p. 464 [2]
The Franciscan Fathers (1910) added a horseman's detail:
“These silver earrings are sometimes of a pretty generous size and weight, so that when riding they are often turned up over the auricle, as the jolting of the horse's gait cause them to jerk uncomfortably at the lobes.”
— Franciscan Fathers (1910), p. 464 [2]
Ornament as wealth showed in older men's headgear too. The Franciscan Fathers (1910) wrote of the warriors' caps:
“The front was decorated with a strand of abalone shell (and bayeta) without which the cap was practically worthless.”
— Franciscan Fathers (1910), p. 461 [2]
And of headbands, the Franciscan Fathers (1910) wrote:
“Headbands made of beaver, muskrat, and otter skins, were highly prized as a headgear, and profusely decorated with precious stones. These were a mark of wealth”
— Franciscan Fathers (1910), p. 462 [2]
According to the Franciscan Fathers (1910, p. 125), one of the early distinguished Navajo chiefs, remembered as the orator, was also called Mr Big Feet, and in Spanish Sarcillo Largo, 'large earrings.' [2]
Writing in 1910, the Franciscan Fathers traced an archer's gear becoming jewelry:
“To protect the wrist against the cutting sting of the bowstring a guard, or small strip of leather, was worn around it. To-day, though it still serves this purpose, it is mostly ornamental, and is often decorated with a heavy silver plate with turquoise setting.”
— Franciscan Fathers (1910), p. 319 [2]
Sources
- Tanner, Clara Lee. “Navajo Silver Craft.” Arizona Highways 30, no. 8 (August 1954): 16–33. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1954.
- Franciscan Fathers. An Ethnologic Dictionary of the Navaho Language. Saint Michaels, Arizona: The Franciscan Fathers, 1910. Public domain (U.S. publication before 1931). Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1910.
