When you think of jewelry today, earrings, rings, and necklaces are probably some of the first things that come to mind. There are so many beautiful sea glass earring designs and other types of jewelry that it's hard not to wonder where it all originated.

Take earrings, for example. They're one of the most common jewelry items and you might not even think twice when you see someone who has a beautiful pair of sea glass earrings in. But their history is more fascinating than you may think. Here's a short look into the amazing history of earrings.

Ancient Jewelry

In many ancient cultures, earrings were a statement of class reserved solely for males in the culture. Societies like ancient Asia and Egypt frequently used earrings as a class marker on men, not women. In ancient Rome, however, earrings were worn by a different group of people. Rather than signifying one belonged to a higher or nobler class, the only people who wore earrings in ancient Rome were slaves. Wealthy Greek and Roman women also wore opulent earrings as a status symbol. Theirs were much different than the simple earrings worn by the slaves.

The Middle Ages

The middle ages saw earrings come and go out of both male and female fashion, but still primarily male fashions were the ones incorporating earrings. That is, until the 13th century when the Roman Catholic church forbade the piercing of ears. It was done in accordance with the dogma, which states that a person cannot alter or pierce their body, created in the image of God. At this point, thieves and pirates were the only people wearing earrings. This continued well into the 18th century when the Americas were being colonized.

Moving Forward

Earrings have been used as status symbols for hundreds of years. After the 18th and 19th centuries, earrings started to come back into female fashion in particular. Long earrings and simple studs were used to complement a person's wardrobe, and earrings have evolved even more since then.

Sea Glass Jewelry

Now, there are hundreds of sea glass earring designs. This beautiful natural material has been around since humans started making glass around 2000 BC, and continues to manifest in different types of sea glass rings and sea glass pendants around the world today. Earrings and the rest of jewelry certainly have come a long way!