Five Earring Styles Every Woman Needs in her Jewelry Wardrobe

Diamond or Gemstone Studs

The first pair of earrings that we recommend that every woman has is a great pair of studs that are either diamond or a strong, everyday wearing gemstone like sapphire. When you’re buying your pair of studs, you should look for something that you are going to be able to comfortably wear day and night, to a college class, to yoga, to a formal event, and even to sleep in. 

Think about these earrings being your #1 necessity – something that you never have to worry about losing because you never take them off. When it comes to the size or the carat weight of these studs, it really doesn’t matter! These earrings will elevate your look and make you feel proud to wear them regardless of the size.

If you are a young woman who is just starting her professional career, it might be a good idea for you to purchase a pair of diamond studs that are included in a program where you can trade them up for the next size, like our Best-Selling Round Diamond Martini-Style Studs. If you buy a pair of diamond studs that aren’t included in an upgrade program and you do want a larger or different pair in the future, you can always wear your original pair in your second hole, wear them on occasions where you want a more subtle sparkle, or hang on to them to pass them down to a daughter or niece one day.

If you are someone who is a little rougher on your jewelry, protecting your everyday wearing diamond studs in a bezel setting like our Bailey’s CLUB Collection Best Bezel Diamond Studs is a great idea! We also love our ICON Collection Diamond Halo Studs if you are looking for a bigger look at a lower price point, and our ICON Collection Sapphire and Diamond Halo Studs if you are looking for something with a super wearable pop of color!

Pearl Studs

Pearl studs are such a classic and refined look that every woman should own. Not only are pearls super on trend right now, but a pair of pearl studs is an earring that you will be able to wear forever. Whether you go for a smaller size, like a five millimeter or a large and in charge size like a ten millimeter, pearl studs are a bright pop on the ear. We love to wear our pearls to work, to a special event, and everywhere in between – especially in the summer!

Unlike your diamond or gemstone studs, a pearl stud is not something that you are going to be able to put in and wear nonstop. Pearls are a very soft material that is highly susceptible to damage and scratching, so you want to be sure to care for them to make them last forever. The best way to care for your pearl studs is to make sure they are the last thing you put on before you leave the house and the first thing you take off when you get home. When you take them off after a day of wearing them, be sure to use a soft cloth to wipe the dirt and oils off the surface of the pearls to preserve their shiny outer coating. 

Starting at just $95, our Bailey’s Collection Pearl Studs are the perfect start to your jewelry wardrobe or earring collection. If you want to invest in a high-quality pair of pearl studs, these Mikimoto Everyday Essentials Pearl Studs are the best of the best! If you are a woman who wants to give a pearl stud a try before you invest in a higher quality pair or you like the look but aren’t going to wear them every day, our Sterling Silver Pearl Studs are a great option at just $30.

Gold or Diamond Hoops

Another pair of earrings that every woman should have in their jewelry wardrobe is a hoop. There are so many different kinds of hoops that could fill this category, from a diamond inside outside hoop like these from our Bailey’s CLUB Collection to a solid gold hoop like these from our Bailey’s ICON Collection. These earrings should be something that you can wear comfortably every day but can also be dressed up for a friend’s wedding or special event. Hoops are a piece of jewelry that goes through trend cycles often, so many young women opt to buy costume jewelry hoops in order to keep up with the trends. When you’re buying your first pair of fine jewelry hoops, our advice is to tune out the current trends to choose a hoop that you really love and can see yourself wearing regardless of what is popular at the time. 

Hoops are something that you really need to try on to get a feel for what works best for you. You don’t want something so small that it doesn’t feel substantial, but you don’t want them to be too big that they don’t feel casual when you want them to be. If you are someone who has two piercings in your ear, wearing a hoop in your first hole and a diamond stud in your second hole is a super timeless stack that you can wear forever.

We love these classic solid gold hoops with a little pop of sparkle because they feel casual enough for everyday wear but elevated enough to dress up. If you are a woman who doesn’t love the look of a classic hoop, you may want to opt for something with an alternative shape like our CLUB Collection Tapered Oval Pave Hoops.

Elevated Everyday Earring

The next category of earrings that every woman should have is what we like to call “an elevated everyday earring.” This is a fancier, more fashion-forward, day-to-night type of earring. We typically suggest something in white or yellow gold with pave diamonds that are a little larger and more of a statement piece like these Diamond Sunburst Drop Earrings. 

This is an earring that you’re not going to be wearing every day, but you might be wearing them once a week or once every other week. Your elevated everyday earrings should be your go-to statement earring whenever you dress up for brunch, date night, or an evening event. This earring should be a little interesting but nothing too funky so that you feel comfortable wearing them well into your 30s and 40s like these Sparkly Pave Drop Earrings by Ippolita. 

If you are looking for something a little more simple for your elevated everyday earring, something like these Diamond Teardrop Earrings would be a great option. We are also loving these Pave and Textured Gold Drop Earrings by Marco Bicego.

Statement Studs

The final type of earring that we suggest every woman has in their jewelry wardrobe is what we call a statement stud. A statement stud is something that isn’t quite as simple as a single diamond or gemstone stud but still fits like a stud. An earring that would fill this category is something that has a little more interest than a traditional stud, whether it be larger than your diamond studs, featuring different stones, or textured metal like these Pave Diamond and Fluted Gold Interlocking Studs by Phillips House. These can also be referred to as a “button earrings” like these Black Onyx and Yellow Gold Earrings by Elizabeth Locke.

We have so many beautiful and unique examples of statement studs in our Antique and Estate Jewelry Department but not all statement studs have to be vintage! When we think of a statement stud, we think of something that Betty White would wear in Golden Girls like these Vintage Onyx and Diamond Studs, or Princess Diana would wear with a daytime outfit like these Pearl and Diamond Cluster Earrings.