Jean Viteau

It is almost impossible to overstate how popular hoop earrings are today. They are routinely seen adorning the ears of high-profile women, ranging from Michelle Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B.

The roots of the hoop-earring phenomenon literally stretch back to the dawn of civilization. On view in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Ancient Near Eastern Art gallery is a pair of simple gold hoops from Mesopotamia dating to 2,600–2,500 B.C. that experts agree is among the oldest known examples. Hoop earrings can also be found in the Met’s Egyptian art gallery as well as in the museum’s displays of Greek and Roman art.

What inspired the original hoop design and why it was adopted by so many jewelers in the ancient world are unknown. It doesn’t have an origin story, feeling rather like the jewelry equivalent of the wheel. There just seems to be a logic to a circle that goes from the front to the back of the lobe.

“Hoops have been worn for millennia because they are unfathomably chic,” says Annabel Davidson, the editor of Vanity Fair UK’s special jewelry edition. “The way they accentuate the jawline, elongate the face and add a touch of flamboyance to a look is clearly a timeless expression of confidence, femininity and sartorial savvy.”

Throughout the ages, there have been countless decorative variations of hoop earrings. While the style can be found in just about every era, it was far more popular in some periods than others. Certain looks from yesteryear reflect cultural interests, while others are purely glamourous.

On 1stDibs, shop vintage diamond hoop earrings, gold hoop earrings, contemporary hoops and many more varieties of this wildly popular accessory.