Gold Hoop Earrings

Diameter is the number that matters. Ten to fifteen millimetres sits close to the lobe and is practical for constant wear; twenty to thirty is the versatile middle; forty and above is a statement.

Hold a ruler at the stated diameter before deciding - hoops read larger in the hand than they do on a screen.

If the pair is meant to be worn every day rather than for occasions, size is a more consequential decision than the finish or the stones.

A solid hoop is gold throughout. A hollow hoop is formed from a tube, so it reaches the same outside dimensions with far less metal and far less weight.

Hollow construction is what makes large gold hoops wearable - a solid hoop at statement diameter would be uncomfortably heavy on a piercing.

The trade-off is that a hollow tube can dent under a sharp knock where a solid one would not, and such a dent is harder to repair invisibly.

The whole weight of an earring rests on one small piercing for as long as it is worn, and consistently heavy earrings can enlarge a piercing over years.

That is an argument for choosing hollow construction in larger sizes and keeping the heaviest pairs for occasions, rather than for avoiding hoops.

Wearing something light day to day and saving statement pieces for when they will be noticed spreads the load.

A small hoop, usually hinged, that closes snugly against the lobe rather than hanging from it - it hugs the ear, which is where the name comes from.

Because so little stands clear of the ear, it catches on hair, scarves and pillows far less than a full hoop does.

The hinged closure also makes it more secure than a stud with a friction back, which is why huggies are among the most-worn everyday earrings.

Hinged snap closures click shut and are very secure, which is why they are standard on small hoops and huggies.

Post-and-catch closures pass a post through the lobe into a hollow tube end, and are common on medium hoops. A latch-back hooks and closes behind the lobe.

What matters on any of them is that the closure engages cleanly and audibly. One that has become vague to close is telling you it needs attention.

It changes the look as much as diameter does. A large hoop in a fine gauge reads light and graphic; a small hoop in a heavy gauge reads solid and modern.

The same diameter in two different gauges produces two genuinely different earrings.

Thickness also drives weight, which is what determines whether a large hoop is comfortable enough to wear all day.

Small hoops and huggies, yes - they are among the most practical everyday earrings there is, since very little stands clear of the ear.

Larger hoops catch on hair, collars, scarves and seatbelts, and they carry more weight on the piercing, which makes them better suited to occasions.

If a hoop is meant for constant wear, diameter matters more than anything else about it.

Yellow, white, two-tone and tricolor all appear here. The most practical guide is what the wearer already owns, since matching pieces get worn more.

Two-tone and tricolor hoops contain more than one colour already, which makes them easy to wear beside anything.

White gold is usually rhodium-plated, and on hoops that plating wears where the earring is handled to open and close it. A jeweller can reapply it.

Usually. A jeweller can reshape a bent hoop and re-tension a closure that no longer engages properly.

A dent in a hollow tube hoop is the harder case, because there is no metal behind the surface to push against, and it may not be possible to remove it invisibly.

Bringing a hoop in when the closure first becomes vague, rather than after it fails, usually means a smaller job.

Warm water, a little mild soap and a soft brush, paying attention to the closure and to the inside of the hoop where it sits against the ear.

Rinse and dry thoroughly - water can sit inside a hollow tube hoop and take time to leave.

Put earrings in after hairspray and perfume rather than before, since hair products reach hoops more than any other jewelry.