Naomi's earring story

I found the lovely earrings at a second-hand market in Rozelle, Sydney, just after I moved there from Newcastle. I loved the idea that someone had loved them before I found them, and was sure they were meant for me. Two little white rosebuds sitting at the bottom of a dusty box, carved or cast from a type of hard plastic, I think. I barely wore any other earrings for at least a year.

Two years after I found the earrings I decided to travel overseas for seven months. When I moved out of my house I lost both of the earrings somehow- I think I had thrown them on the bed the day before. When I was vacuuming my room before leaving for the last time I found one earring wedged between the carpet and the wall. I looked everywhere for the other one, and have since kept the remaining earring in case the other turns up some day. Sometimes I wear the earring, mismatched with other randomly lost halves, just to keep the hope alive.

Naomi
Sydney
Australia

Aida's lost earring story

Where did you get the earrings from?
I purchased these earrings at the A/X on Fifth Avenue a few years ago; I didn't give them a second thought until I saw a sales associate wearing them and loved the way they sparkled in the light.

When or how did you loose the earring?
I lost the earring a few weeks ago on a snowy evening when I got home from dinner with a friend; I took my scarf off and noticed my earring was missing! It must have come off when I was putting on and taking off my coat & scarf during the course off the evening…

Why did you keep the lost earring?
I kept it in case it somehow got caught in my scarf and got flung in the inner recesses of my closet… Wishful thinking, I know, but I will NOT give up hope until after spring cleaning!

Aida
New York
USA

Sarah's earring story...

This is my lost earning. It’s really beautiful at least I think so. It was given to me by a very old friend. She bought them for me for my 21st birthday after I continually told her how much I loved them. I rarely wore them because I was always scared I would lose them. I’m not sure how I misplaced the other earring; I suppose I protected them so much the universe took them away from me hhheee. I’m still convinced that I will find it amongst my mess one day. I kept the earring because I had a falling out with my best friend and when I look at the earring it reminded me of our lost friendship.

Sarah
Surry Hills
Australia

Penny's earring stories...

I have quite a collection of single earrings (19 at last count). For most, I have absolutely no hope of finding their missing mate, having mislaid the other half of the pair many years ago, in previous households, on long-forgotten outings, in another lifetime... I’m not entirely sure why I find it so difficult to part with those that remain behind.

However there is one earring that I believe I will one day be able to reunite with its partner. I bought the pair – dangly ones with lime-green crystal beads and blue-green seed-pearls – several years ago at the Eumundi Markets to match a treasured necklace given to me for my 50th birthday. I clearly recall the day I lost one of the pair. I was at a BBQ lunch with friends. With an uncharacteristically flamboyant flourish, I turned to talk to the person beside me, and my right earring (I remember it was the right one) was flung from my ear. I heard a distant tinkle and then nothing. Confident of finding it on the decking where we were having lunch, I searched on hands and knees for several minutes. Concluding that it must have “slipped through the cracks”, our host (first alone, embarrassed at what disarray might be found beneath the decking, and then resignedly with my husband’s help), went searching below. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to locate the errant earring.
I have since bought a replacement pair (from Glebe Markets) – quite pretty, but I’m not as fond of them as the originals. I still cherish the hope that one day my lost earring will be discovered by our friends (who still live at the same house): partially buried in the dusty soil, suspended in a stray wisp of spiderweb, just waiting patiently in the shadows to be reunited with its mate.


Penny
Sydney
Australia

Carolyn's earring story...

Where did you get the earrings from?
This earring was purchased in Bamaga in Cape York in July 1997 when I was attending the Festival of Light activities – I bought 5 similar pairs for gifts and kept this, my favourite.
When or how did you loose the earring?
The other earring blew out of my ear (they are very light) on a Harbour Cruise about 10 years later – a friend lost hers in the same way!!
Why did you keep the lost earring?
I have kept it because I am fond of it and it reminds me of my trip to Cape York – we were stuck in Bamaga as our vehicle had been briefly sunk in the Jardine River crossing – an event our family will not forget (all passengers had exited the vehicle knowing it to be a foolish decision)

Carolyn
Balmain
Australia

Catherine's earring stories

The one that got away

I bought myself a pair of fish earrings on a trip to Beijing in August 2006. It was my first time really travelling on my own somewhere very different from home. I'd heard that red was a lucky colour in Chinese and that fish were meant to bring prosperity, these earrings seemed like a good souvenir. They were only cheap but I became very attached to them. Somehow in the process of moving house I lost one of the pair. By this time a friend was living in Beijing. I told her my story of the lost earrings and she managed to find another pair exactly the same. Now I have a spare in case another gets away.


An earring by any other name

This earring was a gift from my colleagues at work for my 30th birthday. It was made by Lauren Simione, a local designer who is also a friend and colleague. During a particularly busy day when I was running backwards and forwards between different buildings at work, and down the road as well, one earring fell out. I retraced my steps and looked everywhere but no luck. I confessed finally to Lauren that I had lost the earring. She told me that she couldn't make another to match, but she turned it into a necklace for me, so now I can still enjoy wearing it, and there's no chance this one can fall off.


Catherine
Adelaide
Australia