A Simple Guide to Earrings

Often when I'm talking about earrings, people don't know all the names I use. So I put together this quick guide for you. At the end I've included a chart you can pin or print to use.

The Earring Guide

Stud earrings are a basic earring. They have a post and a shape on the front that can vary from a simple ball to whole animals and other fun shapes.

Dangles can range from a single hanging strand to more complex ones with multiple pieces. They're called this because they hang down, anywhere from a few inches to touching the shoulders.

Chandelier earrings are similar to dangles, but are fancy and look somewhat like the light fixture. They normally have a main body with many little dangles hanging off it.

Hoops are a classic earring. They are just a big circle of metal, ranging from tiny to huge. They can be made of many types of metal or strung with beads. There are also half hoops, which come in a C shape (see the bottom pair).

Clip-on earrings are specially made for people who don't have ear piercings. They can either clip on either side of your ear or magnetize. These can come in many of the above styles.

Cuff earrings are super cool, and fairly new. They wrap around the ear, sometimes all the way to the top. Some require more than one piercing or on top of the ear, but you can get them for a normal hole.

Here's the chart for you.

I hope this helps you in your jewelry collection. What is your favorite type of earring? I'd love to know.