Fixes flat against the lobe on a straight post, with no drop at all.
Also called: post earring, button stud, diamond stud
The basics
What to know about stud
A stud is a decorative front soldered to a straight post that passes through the lobe and is held by a back on the other side. Nothing hangs, so nothing swings, and the whole piece usually weighs a gram or two. Pairs are sized by total carat weight across both ears, written as ctw. So 1 ctw diamond studs means two half carat stones of about 5 millimeters each.
Backs decide whether you keep them. A friction back, the butterfly shape, grips by spring tension and slackens as that tension relaxes. Screw backs thread onto a grooved post and stay put. Locking backs clamp mechanically. For any stud you would be upset to lose, pay for threaded posts when you buy. The post has to be grooved at the factory and cannot be converted later.
Presence is the trade-off. A stud reads at conversation distance and disappears at ten feet. That is why it works for the office, sleep and sport. It does not work for an evening where earrings carry the look. Two habits matter. Push a back on until it seats, but never until it dents the lobe. Check tightness weekly, since a stud that spins freely in the ear is on its way out.
Best for
When it works well
Daily wear suits studs best, because a fixed post cannot catch on a scarf, a seat belt or a sweater.
Healing piercings need the low weight and the flat profile a stud gives.
Second and third holes usually start here, since studs stack up the lobe without tangling with each other.
One good stone shows better in a stud than in any other setting, as nothing around it competes for attention.
