Alice Coachman Ecliptic Earrings
- Ruby Zoisite
- Garnet
- 14k Gold Fill
These Ecliptic Earrings have a ruby zoisite & garnet cluster on a threader earring. We used a box chain for the threader element. The thicker chain is more noticeable & looks great with the 14k gold fill ring.
The Ecliptic Collection is centered around the circle. Respected as a sacred symbol by virtually every culture, this universal character has an incredible history & prolific meaning, with roots in nature, culture, & life. Pythagoras, the ancient Greek philosopher, called it "the most creative form." Just as circles throughout time have provoked thought & inspired meaning, so have those in our work. The circles in this collection are symbolic of our evolving experience & creativity - what we hope to be a never ending journey.
Curious about circles? Check out our blog post titled, "Ecliptic Collection" for more details on these extraordinary characters.
Wear these earrings in a number of different positions! You can pull the back part of the earring until the ring & cluster is sitting close to your ear lobe, fix them so the back & the front of the earring are at equal lengths, or pull the ring & cluster element, so it is the lowest hanging part of the earring.
Even more - If you have a double piercing, you can wrap the back part of the earring through your second piercing!
These 14k gold fill earrings are perfect for those who have sensitive skin. All of the metal components are hypoallergenic & with proper care, will not tarnish, turn, or stain your skin!
For more information on 14k gold filled metals & how to care for this type of jewelry, check out our information sections below.
Find out the history, lore, & healing powers of Ruby Zoisite & Garnet in the information sections at the bottom of the page.
We offer a brief version of this information in an elegant card format. You can find these cards in the Crystal Card blog post, where you can download & print it for yourself or add it to a gift! Click on the specific gemstone card & you will see a download icon. You can print the card out yourself, or let us know you are gifting these earrings through the "Add A Note" section at purchase.
For more instructions on how to "Add A Note," visit our FAQ's page.
Alice Coachman was the first African American woman from any country to win an Olympic gold medal. Growing up in the segregated South, she overcame discrimination & unequal access to inspire generations of other black athletes to reach for their athletic goals.
Born in Albany, Georgia to a family of ten children, Alice worked hard to help provide for her family. When she wasn’t going to school, picking cotton, supplying corn to local mills, &/or selling plums & pecans, she was playing sports. Unfortunately, women in sports was not a popular idea at this time. There were some “ladylike” sports, such as tennis or swimming, however, those were not the sports Coachman wanted to play. She had to fight the public, as well as her father, so that she could compete. Her father went so far as to whip her for pursuing athletics instead of sitting on the porch looking “dainty.”
This didn’t stop Coachman from running or playing softball & baseball. However, she didn’t see a future in it - a career in music or dance was more practical. It wasn’t until one of her fifth grade teachers & her aunt encouraged her to continue running. By the 7th grade Coachman was named one of the best athletes in all of Albany - boy or girl. Her achievements weren’t enough for her to receive equal opportunity or access to the best training facilities. She was also not allowed to train with any white children or use their facilities. Instead, Coachman trained on her own, running barefoot on dusty roads to improve her stamina & using sticks & to practice the high jump.
While competing for her high school track team at a meet in Albany, she caught the attention of a coach from the Tuskegee Institute, one of the earliest Historically Black Colleges. The coach asked Coachman’s parents if she could train with the high school team during the summer. Coachman ended up transferring to Tuskegee in her sophomore year to complete high school.
In 1943 she started attending the Tuskegee Institute college division to study dressmaking while continuing to complete for the schools track & field team & basketball team. As a member of the track & field team she won 4 national championships for sprinting & the high jump.
At this point Coachman was one of the best track & field competitors in the country winning national titles in the 50m, 100m, & 400m relay. From 1939 to 1948 she won the American national title for the high jump. Friends, peers, & family started pushing for her to try out for the Olympics, However, for many of her successful years the Olympics was out of reach due to WWII.
Once the war was over, Coachman was hesitant to try out. She eventually attended the trials & while completing with a back injury, she destroyed the existing US high jump record.
At the London Games in 1948, Coachman competed for her Olympic gold in the high jump. She became the Gold Medalist when she set a new Olympic record as she cleared the 5’ 6 1/8” bar on her first attempt. King George VI of Great Britain put the medal around her neck. Coachman became the first African American woman to win Olympic gold, as well as the only American woman to win a gold medal at the 1948 Olympic Games.
Upon her return to the US, she was celebrated. Count Basie, the famous jazz musician, threw her a party. President Truman congratulated her. She got a 175 mile motorcade from Atlanta to Albany & an “Alice Coachman Day” in Georgia to celebrate her accomplishment. However, these celebrations were bittersweet as they occurred in the segregated South. Fans sat in a segregated crowd, the white mayor of Atlanta sat on stage with Coachman, but wouldn’t shake her hand, & she had to leave her own celebration out of the side door.
After the 1948 Olympics Coachman’s track career ended at the age of 24. She completed her degree at Albany State College with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics & a minor in science in 1949. She then became an elementary & high school teacher & track coach.
In 1952, Coachman became the 1st African American female to endorse an international consumer brand, Coca Cola.
Coachman was inducted into 9 Halls of Fame, including the National Track & Fiel Hall of Fame (1975) & the US Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame (2004).
In 1994 she started the Alice Coachman Track & Field Foundation to aid young athletes & former competitors with financial need.
Alice Coachman died on July 14, 2014 at the age of 90.
Rothberg, Emma. “Alice Coachman.” National Women’s History Museum, 2022. August 17, 2022