There are many different names for earrings and, whatever you call them, there’s one for every occasion. You can classify earrings by the types of earring backs or by the types of piercings. For now, we’ll focus on their design.
Table of Contents
Studs
Stud earrings are a small piece of jewelry that is worn through a small hole in the earlobe. They are one of the most popular kinds of earrings and they come in many different shapes, sizes, and designs.
Hoop Earrings
Hoop earrings originated in Africa. Traditionally, they were circular earrings that have a small piece of wire that you insert in your ear and connects to the other end of the hoop on the backside of the ear, creating a complete circle.
Drop Earrings
A drop earring connects at your earlobe, but it does not rest against your ear. It hangs down or drops below the ear.
Dangle Earrings
These earrings hang or swing to and fro or side to side. A dangle earring hangs below the earlobe and has movement.
Chandeliers
These earrings are decorative pieces of jewelry that resemble a chandelier. They can have a teardrop shape with multiple dangling pieces hanging from that piece.
Huggies
Huggie earrings, also known as huggers, are earrings for pierced ears. A hinge, at the top of the earring, enables the post to open and close without an earring back.
Teardrop Earrings
This is basically a drop earring that is shaped like a teardrop. They normally hang from the earlobe.
Ear Cuffs
Ear cuffs are elaborate pieces of jewelry that cover the entire outer lining of the ear. They are described as “a small thick ring that is worn on the ear and stays on by pressing tightly on the ear“.
Bajoran Earrings
This style of earring is directly out of a sci-fi movie. More specifically, Star Trek. It was the jewelry worn by the Bajoran race.
The Bajoran earring, known as a “d’ja pagh” in Bajoran, was an elaborate piece of jewelry traditionally worn on the right ear by the Bajoran people as a symbol of their faith.
Memory Alpha
Threader Earrings
Threader earrings are different from other types of earrings being that they are made of a length of fine chain, often made of silver, gold or another metal.
Basically, it looks like a piece of thread/string. This string goes through your pierced earlobe and dangles down the sides. It can be with or without a decorative piece attached.
Cluster Earrings
Cluster earrings are decorative earrings that are made up of a variety of gemstones (diamonds, gold) or other decorative materials that form a ‘cluster’. They are usually studs but can also dangle from the ear.
Barbell Earrings
A barbell earring is an earring that is made of a straight bar that has a bead or other decoration at both ends. One or both beads are usually removable which allows you to change the bead to fit your needs.
They are so named because they resemble the free weights you’d see at a gym with a barbell setup. Rumor has it that this style was first designed in Germany before coming to the United States.
