Earrings 101

By Author: Rebecca.Franks
Total Articles: 4
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Ear piercing is one of the oldest forms of body modifications known to man. The Persians, Egyptians, and Romans all wore earrings for a variety of reasons - protection, medicinal purposes, or decoration. They have been a symbol of slavery, or of status, and worn by both sexes throughout history.

Today, the most common reason for ear piercing is simply for decoration. Individuals can pierce almost every part of the ear, but the earlobe is the most traditional. From modern custom silver jewelry to gold heirloom pieces, earrings can be crafted in a variety of styles to be worn in this part of the ear:

Studs. The stud is perhaps the most common type of earring worn. Piercing studs or starter studs are often used to make an initial piercing. A stud consists of the earring with a post that goes through the earlobe, held in place by a clutch. This backing is usually metal but can also be rubber too. Often earrings that contain valuable gemstones will have a back that literally screws on.

Hoops. A hoop earring is just as it sounds - a loop of metal or plastic that hoops through the ear. The hoop is often hollow, ...
... allowing the thinner portion that slips through the earlobe to slide inside the back to close. A hoop earring may also not loop all the way around and instead have a post with a clutch closure.

Huggies. A huggy earring is a type of hoop earring that hugs the ear. Essentially, it is a hoop that loops snugly around the earlobe. This is common with designers using gemstones as they can be channel set within the circle.

Cuff. An ear cuff, although often worn on the cartilage of the ear, can also be worn on the earlobe. This design is a small C-shaped earring that pinches closed on the ear.

Bajoran. Also called a slave earring, this type of earring is a stud with some sort of chain that attaches to an ear cuff placed upwards on the ear.

Dangle. A dangle earring actually dangles down from the ear, either a short distance or all the way to the shoulders. They are usually attached with a thin wire that clasps to itself after being threaded through the ear. The French hook design simply hooks through the ear and by design will not fall out (often, they will still have a small rubber stopper that is placed at the end of the hook). Dangle earrings offer jewelry designers the most freedom and is often the preferred design by custom silver jewelry makers.

Ear thread. A thread is a usually a thin chain narrow enough to thread through the piercing and dangles on either side. Some earrings are actually studs that achieve the same look by having dangles on either side of the post.

Needle. A needle earring or stick earring is anything that essentially sticks through the piercing - similar to a stud post but does not have a clasp on the back. It is able to stay put because it is slightly bigger than the piercing. Larger versions are called plugs, which the wearer achieves by stretching the piercing hole over time.

Author:
Helen Walker. JewelryJohn.com is your source for custom sterling silver jewelry. We create tomorrow's heirloom today.