Earrings

Studs, hoops, drops and cartilage pieces in surgical and stainless steel — made to be worn every day, including by people who react to cheaper metals.

Two things decide whether a pair gets worn or stays in the drawer: the metal and the fitting. Sterling silver earrings are marked 925, meaning 92.5% silver — bright, hypoallergenic for most people, and it will tarnish in time, which a soft cloth takes straight back off. Surgical steel and titanium steel do not tarnish at all and are the safer choice if cheap metals leave your lobes sore.

Flat back earrings — the ones with a smooth disc behind the ear rather than a butterfly back — are what people mean by cartilage earrings for helix, tragus and conch piercings. The flat side sits against the skin, so they do not catch on a pillow or a jumper and you can sleep in them. They are for healed piercings; a new one should be fitted by whoever pierced it.

Hoop earrings come down to diameter. Huggies at 8–12mm sit tight to the lobe and disappear under hair; 20–30mm reads as everyday; anything larger is deliberately a statement. Cubic zirconia is a lab-grown stone, not a diamond — brilliant, hard-wearing and priced honestly.

More in Jewellery: Bracelets, Necklaces & Chains, Rings, Anklets.