Gold Trip Finds the Key to Making Clip-On Earrings Cool Again

By Karen Dybis | December 22, 2025

Gold Trip founder Michelle Gay may have solved the puzzle that is clip-on earrings with a new collection that offers affordability, a lightweight feel, and, most important, no pinch.

If you’ve ever tried to wear your grandmother’s classic clip-on earrings, you know exactly what Gay has achieved. Those clip-on earrings of old hurt to wear—imagine screwing the earring on in hopes of securing it through an event or evening only to have to remove them when the pain becomes too much. (Personal experience talking here.)

Off of the success of Gold Trip’s clip-on earrings that sold well in Gay’s vintage collection, Gold Trip recently debuted a new collection of contemporary clip-on earrings. These earrings feature silver posts and are designed with a variety of backs that don’t pinch and stay put, Gay says.

Gold Trip clip earrings — *Adding modern touches such as always-on-trend butterflies and crystals make clip-on earrings like these Wild Butterfly earrings ($44) from Gold Trip attractive to Gen Z.*

The collection includes a variety of materials, like crystals and enamel, to add interest without additional expense. There also are upscale versions with freshwater pearls, a gemstone Gay loves but comes at a reasonable price, she says. Gold Trip has a huge variety of designs now, including studs, hoops, dangles, and drops—designs that are really hard to find from the few places out there doing clip-ons.

“One of my first jewelry memories is trying on my grandma’s clip-on earrings. They were huge and very heavy and pinched but I loved trying them on, albeit just for a minute or two,” Gay says. “My grandmother never had her ears pierced but she was a really glamorous lady and was never seen without earrings or lipstick.”

Gay says what particularly loved was that those clip-on earrings stayed on her ears unlike the little sticker earrings she used to get as a small child and would be stuck in her hair within seconds. So—grown-up look without the tangled mess.

Fast forward to running Gold Trip, and now Gay is selling a huge range of her own clip-on earrings alongside the brand’s demi-fine jewelry.

Gold Trip star earrings — *Clip-on earrings make a statement through Gold Trip’s Sparkle Star Drop Clip On Earrings ($55) with 18k gold-plated finish and crystals.*

“It’s quite a ’round the houses’ story in terms of how we got into them. Since almost the inception of Gold Trip, we’ve had great success with our GT Vintage range—a selection of rediscovered vintage pieces that were made in England between the 1970s and 1990s and then put, unworn and in brand-new condition, into storage as dead stock,” Gay says.

Because of the period of the jewelry, the collection contained a lot of clip-on earrings; Gay says she is certain she recognized a few designs from her grandma’s jewelry collection.

“We’ve had great success with them doing pop-ups and events, as well as selling to stockists. I’ve heard of so many people who can’t have their ears pierced for a whole variety of reasons and struggle to find clip-on earrings that aren’t uncomfortable or old-fashioned,” Gay says.

Because customers starting asking for contemporary and dainty clip-on earrings, Gay says she was happy to oblige. “These styles are similar in design to our demi-fine jewelry: feminine, well-crafted, affordable, and easy to wear. Since we started selling them, they’ve really flown out.

“We’ve launched the designs with a few different styles of backs to suit different ears and preferences; we’ve got traditional clip-backs, which we’ve developed to be lightweight and non-pinch, as well as a really clever, ultra-comfortable curved back that grips to the ear thanks to a silicone backing and is so lightweight you can’t even feel you’re wearing them.”

Top: Gold Trip is making a new name for clip-on earrings with its new collection, which includes these Gold Sparkle Butterfly Clip On Earrings ($44) with crystals. (Photos courtesy of Gold Trip)