For years, all jewelers really needed to know about earrings were the basics: studs, hoops, or drop styles for those with pierced ears, and clip-on varieties for those whose lobes weren’t pierced. But there’s a whole new crop of styles—cuffs, climbers, front-to-backs, modern jackets, and mismatched pairs—that jewelers need to know about because they’re chic, whimsical, and irresistible to shoppers.
To help you identify these looks at the shows this week in Las Vegas, here is a visual guide with styles’ names and pictures of how to wear them. Bookmark this page for reference and for the confidence to offer shoppers all these cool new pieces now.
1. Ear cuffs
These are ornaments that hug—not pinch—the lobes by way of a tiny cuff. Ear cuffs can be dramatic like wings or subtle like micro bracelets on the ear. Variations include ear cuffs with a stud and chain, an ensemble featuring a stud earring with a chain that connects to a cuff on the upper part of the ear. (It resembles guy’s wallet chain of sorts, but for gals on the ears.)
Ear cuffling in silver with inverted pink sapphires, $391; Marla Aaron
Hinged ear huggie cuff in 18k gold with gemstones clip comfortably onto ears and start at $330 retail, Christina Debs Fine Jewelry at LUXE Intelligence.
Stud and ear cuff in 18k gold with 0.45 ct. champagne and 0.3 ct. colorless diamonds, $2,480; Colette
2. Ear climbers
Climber earrings snake upward on the ear and stay in place via a post and back (mainly for short climbers), a long shepherd’s hook that slips through the pierced ear while the wearer positions the ornament up, a cuff on the upper cartilage or the lower back portion of the lobe, or a post and back earrings with a cuff for longer motifs.
Courtesy Jack Vartanian
Jack Vartanian’s short Comet climber-style post earrings on the ear
Emily ear climbers from the Sorrento collection in 18k gold with 3.5 mm–5 mm freshwater pearls and 0.06 ct. diamonds, $1,275; Mastoloni
Courtesy Mastoloni
Emily ear climber slips through pierced ears with a long post and no back, and the wearer positions it upward on the ear. These styles can also be worn simply as drop earrings when facing downward.
Winged Rope climber-style post earrings in 14k gold with a white freshwater pearl, $480; Jewelmak
Courtesy Jewelmak
Jewelmak’s climber-style post earrings with a cuff
Catch a Falling Star ear climber with a post and back and a cuff in silver, $155; Efva Attling
3. Front-to-back earrings
These function as they sound: an earring in the front that attaches to one in the back (think of a seesaw effect). The jewel or ornament in the rear is always bigger than its front-facing companion so that it’s weighed down just enough for all to see. Plus, there’s a variation with drops—decorative on both ends—that has been popping up at the shows this year. Click here to see a pair on.
Front-to-back earrings in sterling silver with a 9.5 mm–12 mm freshwater pearls, $545; Imperial
Long front-to-back drops in 18k black gold with 12 mm–13 mm white South Sea pearls, 0.35 ct. t.w. black diamonds, and 0.21 ct., t.w. colorless diamonds; $4,200; Yoko London
4. Earring jackets
Everyone knows what traditional jackets look like: They slip onto front sides of earrings for embellishment (sometimes it’s a drop and sometimes it’s a halo). But with all of the newer varieties available now, it’s a good time to get reacquainted with the category. For example, some jackets look like skirts on the ear because they slip onto the backsides of host earrings and flare out underneath the lobe like peplum or a frilly skirt. (These are sometimes sold as singles in order to give shoppers options to mix and match.) There are also skirts with a linear silhouette, like a long bar or spike, à la straight skirts. Myriad variations of these also exist.
Traditional halo-style earring jacket from Alexandra Mor
A frilly skirt: Moonphase earring jacket in silver with brass star studs, $235; Pamela Love
Courtesy Pamela Love
Model in Pamela Love stud earrings with jackets that flare out like a skirt behind and underneath ear lobes.
A straight skirt: Jayden stud earrings with long jackets in recycled 14k white gold with 1.15 cts. t.w. champagne diamonds, $2,400; Arya Esha
5. Mismatched pairs
Pairs of earrings no longer mean perfect matches. Mismatched mates are the norm among certain designers, giving consumers plenty of freedom for personal expression and customized looks.
Mismatched earrings in 18k gold with black rhodium and black and white South Sea pearls and diamonds by Utopia Jewels
Mismatched cloud studs in 18k gold, $675 a pair, and lightning-bolt motif earring with 0.25 ct. sapphires and 0.0825 ct. diamonds, $1,950 for one; Finn
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