Our little family of four had our annual holiday photo session last weekend. Our status is still pretty new—that fourth member is just about 3 months old now—and, as many parents of little ones probably know, I was thrown for a loop when it came to getting out of the house on time.
Needless to say, if I had been expecting to get quality time to make myself look and feel perfectly presentable for these pictures, well, I would have been sorely disappointed.
A bit of makeup to cover the dark circles from lack of sleep, a sturdy hair tie to hold back the hair that is thinning at a rapid pace thanks to the postpartum exodus. I was as ready as I’d ever be. Not psyched by my reflection in the mirror, but I told myself everyone just cares about the photos of the kids anyway.
On my way out the door, I made the last-minute decision to throw on a pair of hoop earrings. I haven’t changed my earrings in at least a year, so the decision to do so felt bold.
The power of jewelry. The power of a good pair of hoops. I felt elevated, dare I say, beautiful.
Until, of course, my toddler yanked one out during the photo session.
But all this to say, I’ve never felt more confident in the statement that a good pair of hoop earrings—multiple pairs, even, is a necessity for anyone who wears jewelry. And it’s definitely a necessity for retailers.
Gina Love, founder and designer of the New York–based Auvere, knows this to be true.
“Hoop earrings are one of the oldest and most popular jewelry trends to ever exist,” says Love. “In the 2020s, hoop earrings remain a classic, and they will hold that position indefinitely. Why? The power of a simple circle. Circles that represent strength, connection, and infinity. The timelessness of the hoop earring is so powerful. They give off a vibe of something that will last forever.”
There’s a lot of jewelry on the market out there that can make your heart flutter—I’ve seen and written about pieces that are absolutely mind-blowing. But the humble hoop, in its many iterations, bridges decades, generations, and cultures like no other. From the chunky vermeil pair I slipped on the other day to tiny gold huggies I tend to keep in for months on end, their presence is irreplaceable.
“My ears were pierced when I was a baby. My mom dressed me up in tiny earrings all of the time, including a small pair of gold huggie hoop earrings,” says Love, who was born and raised in Jamaica. “All of the women in my family wore hoop earrings at some point or another. I still have a pair of 14 karat gold hoops my mom gave me when I was a teenager. They were hers, and she passed them down to me. Now, many years later, I wanted to make my own classic hoop earrings that can be passed down from one generation to the other, but from 22 karat gold.”
With this collection of hoops from Auvere, Love has made that easy. The new release includes seven different sizes of hoops—all in solid 22k gold, the luxury!—so customers can choose the size that feels right for them, or select multiple sizes and wear them all at once (remember how popular that look was in the ’90s?).
Prices start at $325 for a single micro hoop and cap at $2,800 for a pair of XL hoops, prices that feel reasonable for pieces that could literally be worn forever. The modern consumer will appreciate Auvere’s commitment to ethical sourcing, using a mix of recycled and virgin gold, Fairmined and Fairtrade accredited.
“What makes Auvere’s simple, minimalist hoops particularly special is that they are are made with lustrous 22k gold,” says Love. “This means that the actual gold content in our hoop earrings is significantly higher (91.67%) than in similar earrings crafted from 14k gold (58.3%) and 18k gold (75%). Because of the high gold content and our use of a nickel-free silver alloy, our hoop earrings are hypoallergenic and will not tarnish. Each size [of the seven offered] appeals to different people as well as people looking for different hoop options. What we find delightful is that hoops are no longer only worn by women but by everyone, regardless of gender.”
Top: A selection of Auvere’s new hoop earrings in 22k yellow gold
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