Caroline: In our last blog, we delved into the fabulous world of earrings. We briefly discussed several factors, ending with the physical features of the woman, especially the length of her neck and chin line. I believe you were taking it from the bottom up!
Cynthia: Yes… moving on up from the jawline, next there is that lovely space between the bottom of the earlobe and the jawline. That’s prime real estate for earrings for all women. For some women, that space is very short … for others, long. It depends upon the size and placement of the ears.
Caroline: You mean we’re not all the same!!!
Cynthia: Not only are we not all the same, but for many people, one ear is decidedly higher than the other!
Caroline: Shhhh, you’re not supposed to notice! But seriously, any advice for those who are “ear challenged?”
Cynthia: Yes, let’s digress for a moment because this is an important point. When piercing ears, it’s important to pierce the ears so that the earrings will sit at the same height. Sometimes one ear faces forward a bit more than the other or is otherwise shaped different from the other. A good ear piercer will take these differences into account.
Caroline: Of course, although there are so many places to choose from that can pierce your ears! They likely are not all the same – some will be smarter about this topic than others. What happens when it’s too late and your ears are pierced, at the same height or not?
Cynthia: The creative use of earrings is another solution. Generally, I think that cluster earrings that have some length and width (an inch or more in diameter) do a nice job of distracting from the shape of the ears
Caroline: Ah a very good “Savvy Tip!” That’s something every jeweler on the planet should have on hand.
Cynthia: For most women (and men, for that matter) stud earrings are an attractive alternative, because they do not detract from the shape of the ears. What gets tricky is dropping a gemstone under the ear with a French wire. That is a look that doesn’t work well on everyone.
Caroline: When doesn’t it work well?
Cynthia: The thin wire is best for someone with very delicate features, so that the earrings relate to the face.
Caroline: Oooh, a matter of scale.
Cynthia:  That’s right. In addition, thin wire can do a very fine job of drawing attention to all those fine lines next to the mouth or eyes… something not many women like to highlight.
Caroline: Really? It wouldn’t seem that way as the lines go in the opposite directions.
Cynthia: I’m thinking of those curved lines next to the mouth in particular. Earrings that dangle below the earlobes draw the eyes downward. So if there is any sagging or drooping of features, the earrings add to the effect.
Caroline: Yes, we talked about how the earring leads the eye depending on where the earring ends. These are great tips – and we’ll have a few more on earrings next time!

Today’s Jewel
Don’t forget that your customers may not have evenly placed holes in their ears. If that is the case, consider using a great pair of earrings to hide the difference. Or, if you have a talented ear piercer on staff, suggest that your customer consider having her ears re-pierced to correct the issue and allow her to wear a variety of earrings more easily.

JCK