All Earrings

Three choices shape most earring decisions: the metal, whether a stone is set, and the format. The metal decides the colour against the skin and how the pair sits with the jewelry you already wear. The stone, if there is one, sets the character and the price. The format decides where the earring sits on the ear and how it moves.

Gold earrings are offered in yellow, white, rose and two-tone finishes, and the karat is stated on each listing. Platinum earrings are a naturally white metal and are listed separately as platinum. Stone-set designs include natural and lab-grown diamonds, natural and lab-grown gemstones, birthstones and cubic zirconia, and each listing names the stone and, where it applies, whether it is natural or lab-grown.

Gold or platinum

Gold used in jewelry is an alloy, and the karat states how much of it is gold: 18K is 18 parts gold in 24, or 75%; 14K is 14 parts in 24, about 58.3%; 10K is 10 parts in 24, about 41.7%. The remaining share is made up of other metals, which also set the colour, so the same karat can be yellow, white or rose. Platinum is a different metal that is white without any added colour. If you want a white earring, both white gold and platinum are available here; the listing states which one a design is made in.

Plain metal or a set stone

Plain gold and platinum earrings rely on shape and finish, such as polished, diamond-cut or textured surfaces. Stone-set earrings add a diamond, a coloured gemstone, a birthstone or cubic zirconia. Natural and lab-grown diamonds are both diamonds; a lab-grown stone is grown rather than mined, and the listing says which it is. Cubic zirconia is a diamond simulant, a different material that is named as CZ on its listing.

Format and fit

Studs sit flat on the lobe. Hoops pass through the piercing and return, and huggies are small hoops that sit close to the ear. Drops, dangles and chandeliers hang below the fitting and move with the head, while climbers and cuffs follow the edge of the ear. Before ordering, check the listing for the dimensions, the type of fitting or back, and whether the earring is sold as a pair or as a single piece.

Matching earrings to other pieces

When earrings are worn with a necklace, pendant or ring, metal colour is the detail most worth aligning, because a slight mismatch is noticeable where a clear contrast looks intentional. Scale comes next: a substantial pendant usually sits better with earrings that have some presence than with the smallest studs.