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Zendaya is no stranger to making headlines with her fashion choices. But this time, it wasn't her dress that got people talking. It was a pair of earrings with a history stretching back nearly 3,000 years.

The actor stepped out for a The Odyssey promotional event in London wearing a custom white Jacquemus gown. The look was clean, elegant and unmistakably Zendaya. But the real conversation began once fashion enthusiasts realised the jewellery she was wearing wasn't inspired by history, it was history.

The earrings date back to the first millennium BCE

Zendaya's statement earrings featured authentic ancient Iranian gold plaques that date back to the first millennium BCE. The rare pieces came from Zivia, sourced through London-based antique jewellery dealer Barron London.

Rather than leaving the artefacts untouched, the ancient gold discs were carefully reset into contemporary earrings using 18-carat yellow gold and diamonds. The result was a piece that blended archaeological history with modern jewellery design.

Each gold disc carries a radiating sun motif, a symbol that appeared across several ancient civilisations in the Near East. Historians associate the design with Shamash, the Mesopotamian sun god who represented justice, protection and divine authority.

A discovery that goes back almost 80 years

The story behind the jewellery is just as fascinating as the pieces themselves.

The Zivia treasure was discovered in 1947 in a village near Saqqez, in Iran's Kurdistan region. According to historical accounts, locals came across a bronze coffin filled with gold artefacts.

But the discovery wasn't handled under archaeological supervision.

Many of the objects were reportedly broken apart and sold individually before experts had the chance to properly document the site. Over time, surviving pieces found their way into museums, auction houses and private collections across the world.

Today, artefacts linked to the Zivia treasure can be found in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre, the British Museum and the National Museum of Iran.

The internet couldn't agree

As soon as photos of Zendaya's look surfaced online, people began discussing the earrings.

Many admired the craftsmanship and loved the idea of wearing jewellery with such extraordinary history. Fashion pages praised the styling, calling it one of her most memorable red carpet appearances.

Others, however, questioned the ethics of wearing ancient cultural artefacts as fashion accessories.