Huge and big clip on earrings

Now you either wear clip on earrings or not. Useful if you have not got pierced ears but also can be worn if you do. Clip earrings first came into fashion in the 1930s and enjoyed about 50 years of popularity before a gradual decline in use. Many people still use clip earrings, although finding them is difficult as many jewellery companies no longer make them. 


Before the clip mechanism was patented, ears were pierced usually using a needle heated to sterilize. Then pushed through your ear with a cork placed at the back to stop the needle going too far! Now you had to trust your friend, sister or mom to make the hole in the right place and you had not to move.
So in came the clip earring that did not require surgery, although some pinched your ears and you had to make sure they stayed on. But help was at hand in the shape of earring accessories of pads and pillows. Pillows fitted over the paddle and not only cushioned but helped keep the earring on. Then pads fit into the hole on the clip paddle and again cushion and help to hold the piece of jewellery in place. 


In the late 1970s an new way to pierce ears came in - the piercing gun which revolutionised piercing ears. Well lets face it now days, everthing seems to be pierced!!



So back to the big and huge clip on earrings - very popular in the 1980s and 1990s when everything was over sized.



In the photographs are big pink plastic clip earrings, diamante delight earrings also quite big. Huge blue diamond vintage clip on earrings.Then above Peta Lure earrings circa 1960s by Sarah Coventry.  Below are copper and gold tone floral clip earrings circa 1990s that are also bigger than average.


  Of course there are ear earrings to wear.