Pirate's Jewelry - Why An Earring?

Picture a pirate. I’ll bet you’re picturing a scruffy-looking person with a big treasure chest, an eye patch, and an earring. Why did pirates wear earrings, after all? Was it just to make a fashion statement, like many of us today? Actually, pirates wore earrings for more practical, and sometimes less practical, reasons.

Pirates were very superstitious. They believed that precious metals like gold and silver had magical powers and could ward off bad omens and the evil eye. They even believed that wearing it in the ear could help with migraines, seasickness, and eyesight problems. Some even believed that it was impossible to drown while wearing an earring made of potent protective metals.

While these superstitious beliefs might come as no surprise, the practical reason for wearing earrings while on the high seas came into play when pirates were in naval battles. In “Now You Know,” Doug Lennox writes, “Pirates, especially those who fired the ships’ cannons during close combat with the enemy, dangled wads of wax from their earrings to use as earplugs.” That’s a pretty ingenious use of jewelry.

The gold, silver, and jewels that pirates weren’t wearing were kept in their coffers and treasure chests, much like how we store our jewelry. Of course, we’d rather keep our beautiful jewelry boxes on display than buried on a desert island. And here at ChasingTreasure, we offer all kinds of gorgeous jewelry boxes and armoires for your treasures!

A Place to Store YOUR Treasures!