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26 Diamond Earring Sizes: Which Is the Best for You?

Diamond Earrings Sizes

Earrings are a great accessory to elevate any outfit. Even if you’re wearing just a black t-shirt and jeans, a pair of diamond stud earrings can really make a difference in the coolness of your look. A pair of hoop earrings can make a simple outfit look more luxurious.

As simple as it is to style earrings, choosing the right size earrings can be a bit less straightforward. You don’t want to buy a pair of gold diamond hoop earrings and find out they’re too big—you’ve paid for more gold and diamonds than you needed to.

Similarly, you don’t want to find out that the diamond stud earrings you ordered are too small. What’s the point of wearing a single diamond stud earring if it’s the wrong size and is too small to notice on your ear lobe?

To help you understand the most popular earring sizes for men and women, we’ve put together a guide on earring sizes to figure out what the right size of earrings is for you. We’ll cover diamond stud earring sizes, plug earring gauge sizes, diamond earring sizes, and hoop earring sizes to get the best fit for your ear.

How Earring Sizes Are Measured

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When figuring what’s a good size for earrings to suit your style and ear shape, first you’ll want to know how earring sizes are measured. There are different measurements that affect how the different earring sizes look on your ear.

Millimeters/Inches

First, earring measurements include the inches or mm for the width and length of an earring. Here’s a quick earring measurement chart converting millimeters to inches:

Millimeter to Inch Converter Chart (1 inch is equivalent to 25.40 millimeters)

mmApprox. inch

.5mm

1/64 in

1 mm

1/32 in

2 mm

1/16 in

3 mm

3/32 in

4 mm

1/8 in

5 mm

3/16 in

6 mm

Just under 1/4 in

7 mm

Just over 1/4 in

8 mm

5/16 in

9 mm

Just under 3/8 in

10 mm

Just over 3/8 in

11 mm

7/16 in

12 mm

Just under 1/2 in

13 mm

Just over 1/2 in

14 mm

9/16 in

15 mm

Just under 5/8 in

16 mm

5/8 in

17 mm

Just under 11/16 in

18 mm

Just under 3/4 in

19 mm

Just over 3/4 in

20 mm

Just under 13/16 in

21 mm

Just over 13/16 in

22 mm

Just under 7/8 in

23 mm

Just over 7/8 in

24 mm

15/16 in

25 mm

1 in

It’s a good idea to measure your earlobe for figuring out pearl earring sizes, diamond earring sizes, and other stud earring sizes. For hoop earrings, you’ll want to measure from where your piercing is and outward, to figure out how far past your ear the hoop size will be.

Carats

One of the ways in which diamond earrings are measured is in carats. One carat weighs 200mg. Diamond carats specifically refer to the weight of a diamond, rather than the size. This is because the cut of a diamond can affect its dimensions.

  • Typically, the higher the carat weight of an individual diamond, the bigger its size. 
  • Total carat weight refers to the sum of each of the diamonds’ carat weights. This gives you an idea of the total diamond carats for a diamond earring that has multiple diamonds.

If you’re buying a solitaire diamond earring stud, the carat weight of the individual diamond matters most. If you’re buying a diamond stud with a cluster of diamonds, or a diamond hoop earring that’s paved in diamonds, the total carat weight is a good indication to go by.

Karats

When it comes to the difference between karats vs carats, the distinction is that karat (kt) measures the purity of gold, while carats (ct) measures the weight of a diamond or gemstone.

  • Some countries—such as Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and countries formerly colonized by the British Empire—typically use the spelling carat or the abbreviation ct for both gold and gemstones.
  • In the United States, Canada, South-East Asia, China, and other countries in Europe, they use both words to distinguish diamond carats from gold karats.

Here are some of the frequently used karat measurement marks and their corresponding percentages of gold purity:

  • 24K – 99.9% (999)
  • 22K – 91.7% (917)
  • 20K – 83.3% (833)
  • 18K – 75.0% (750)
  • 14K – 58.3% (583)
  • 10K – 41.7% (417)

The United States typically uses the 10K-24K range of markers to indicate gold purity. In the U.K. and other countries, they use 417-999 marks for pure gold percentages.

Higher karat numbers mean the gold is purer. If you have sensitive ears, choose at least 18K gold earrings or higher for hypoallergenic earrings. Check out our other post to find out more tips for buying gold jewelry.

Sterling Silver

If you’re buying sterling silver earrings, real sterling silver will be stamped as 925 or .925. These numbers indicate that the earrings are made of 92.5% real silver. If it’s marked EP, EPNS, SP, SF, or something else, it’s not real sterling silver, but another type of metal that’s either silver-plated or silver-filled.

Real sterling silver diamond earrings are much more popular and common, because sterling silver lasts longer, is more valuable, and is less likely to irritate sensitive skin. If you have really sensitive skin, opt for gold or platinum earrings instead, which are more hypoallergenic.

Platinum

Platinum doesn’t have the same regulations as the other precious metals for standardized markings. However, there should be some kind of mark indicating the purity of the platinum earrings. Standard measurements for platinum jewelry purity are:

  • 850 (85% pure)
  • 900 (90% pure)
  • 950 (95% pure)
  • 999 (99.9% pure)

For more information before buying platinum diamond earrings, check out our tips for buying platinum jewelry.

Diamond Earring Sizes

When looking for the best size diamond stud earrings for your ear, it’s helpful to look at a diamond earring size comparison.

Diamond earring size chart:

mmCarat total weightIndividual carat

3.2 mm

.25 ctw

0.125 carat each

3.5 mm

.33 ctw

0.165 carat each

3.8mm

.40 ctw

0.20 carat each

4.1mm

.50 ctw

0.25 carat each

4.3mm

.62 ctw

0.31 carat each

4.67mm

1.00 ctw

0.375 carat each

5mm

1.25 ctw

0.50 carat each

5.8mm

1.50 ctw

0.75 carat each

6.8mm

1.25 ctw

0.625 carat each

7.3mm

1.50 ctw

0.75 carat each

7.7mm

1.75 ctw

0.875 carat each

6.5mm

2.00 ctw

1.00 carat each

Keep in mind that this is just a general guide for diamond earring sizes. It’s based on the average round cut diamond earring sizes. Princess cut diamond stud earrings, for example, will have slightly different dimensions. Typically, the most popular diamond cut shapes for diamond stud earrings are the round cut and princess cut.

Tips for Choosing Diamond Stud Earring Size

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What is the best size for diamond stud earrings?

  1. For a pair of diamond stud earrings you plan on wearing every day, most people choose between 0.25 total carat weight and 1.0 total carat weight, or between 3mm and 5mm diamond stud size.
  1. If you want a pair of large diamond stud earrings for more of a statement look, then you should look for diamond earring sizes between 1 to 2 total carat weight (or .375 carat to 1-carat individual diamond studs).

Some diamond stud earrings are not solitaire—they consist of multiple diamonds. For multiple diamonds stud earrings, you’ll want to look at the length and width measurements of the diamond studs for sizing. You may also consider the total carat weight to understand how big the diamonds will look collectively.

In terms of diamond cut quality, you’ll want to choose a very good or excellent cut.

  • Shallow cut: the light is lost out the sides and the diamond loses its captivating brilliance.
  • Deep cut: When a diamond is cut deep, the light escapes out the bottom and the diamond appears dark.
  • Ideal cut: The ideal cut allows the light to travel freely through the diamond and exit in a rainbow of sparkles.

Here at ItsHot, all of our diamonds are ideal cut, to assure the best-looking diamonds at any carat weight. To learn more, check out our guide on diamond cuts and shapes.

Hoop Earring Sizes

To figure out the right hoop earring size for you, you’ll want to use a ruler with millimeters to measure the distance from your piercing. This will give you an idea of where you want a hoop earring will extend to. You can look at pictures that compare sizes of hoop earrings, including mens hoop earring size comparisons.

For measuring hoop earring sizes on ear cartilage, you can do the same measurement technique. Make sure to pay attention to the edge of your ear, which will fill part of the hoop space.

Here’s a guide for comparing different sizes of hoop earrings:

  1. Small hoop earrings: 5mm-25mm, 0- to 1-inch diameter
  2. Medium hoop earrings: 26mm-50mm, 1- to 2-inch diameter
  3. Large hoop earrings: 51mm-76mm, 2- to 3-inch diameter
  4. Extra large hoop earrings: 77mm+, 3- to 4-inch diameter or greater

On our website, you can filter our gold and diamond hoop earrings by mm width, carats, metal type, and more. This makes it much easier to find the right size hoop earrings for men and women.

Huggie Hoop Sizes

The difference between huggie hoops vs regular hoop earrings is that huggie hoops are a bit smaller and thicker, sitting closer to the earlobe. If you want a smaller hoop earring that doesn’t have as much space from the ear, huggie hoops are the best type of hoop earring for you.

Huggie hoop earrings have a lever back, so huggie hoop earrings curve back into place rather than piercing through the back in a full circle.

To figure out the right size of huggie hoop for your ear for either unit of measurement, you can look back at the top of the page for the mm and inches conversion chart.

Gauge Sizes

To determine the best ear gauge size for you, keep in mind that the size of the gauge works like this: a 1/16th inch gauge size is called 16 gauge, a 1/8th gauge size is an 8 gauge, and so on. The lower the fraction, the thicker the wire of the plug earring. It gets a little tricky to remember for gauges and plugs over an inch in diameter.

  • 14K gold plugs and higher karat gold, surgical stainless steel, and platinum are some of the best metals for gauge piercings because they’re more resistant to irritating your ears. Sterling silver plug earrings are another good choice for your gauge piercing.
  • If you have a gauge piercing and want to wear regular hoop earrings or huggie hoops, you’ll want to choose a thickness of hoop earring that sits snugly in the hole. You can ask the seller questions regarding what is the best earring size for your gauge size.

If you choose the right sized earrings, you can still wear diamond earrings, diamond hoops, and other styles of thicker earrings with certain gauge piercing diameters.

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Tips on Choosing Earring Sizes

To figure out the best size hoop earring, or the best size diamond stud earrings, we’ve added some final tips on figuring out the right earring size and getting the best price for real gold and diamond studs, hoops, and other earring types.

  1. To save money, consider cluster-style diamond earrings rather than solitaire diamond earrings. Multiple, smaller diamonds can be cheaper than a single large diamond.
  2. Opt for yellow gold earrings for diamonds with a tint, or white gold for diamonds with better clarity.
  3. For dangle diamond earrings, consider dangle earrings that have diamonds up the entire earring for a more brilliant look.
  4. Round cut diamonds and princess cut diamonds are the best diamond shapes for studs.
  5. If you only have one ear pierced, look for single stud earrings so you don’t have to pay double.
  6. If you have multiple piercings, mix up your earring sizes.
  7. Stick to all one color gold (yellow gold, rose gold, white gold) for multiple gold earrings on one ear.
  8. Consider choosing matching earrings with another piece of jewelry you own.
  9. Color diamond earrings are a unique option to personalize your earrings.
  10. If you have specific earring sizes or preferences, look at creating custom earrings for customized sizes, diamond colors, dimensions, and carats.

If you have any question about our vast selection of diamond earrings for men or our many types of earrings for women, you can always shoot us any questions by contacting us.

We have a 30-day money-back guarantee return policy, as well as a 1-year warranty, in case you buy earrings that don’t fit.

 

ItsHot LogoDenis Stepansky
Founder of ItsHot.com

Denis Stepansky is a founder of ItsHot, a diamond jewelry and watches store based in NYC. He has been in the jewelry business for about 20 years and owns such high-end jewelry brands as Luccello and Luxurman. As a jewelry expert, he has citations on well-known magazines and newspapers like Insider and Daily Mail.

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