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The Art of Ear Curation | Crafting & Personalising Ear Piercings
By Francesca Leon - 10th June 2025
Jewellery is a great way to present your personal identity, not only through the pieces you wear, but also through the way you wear them. For many people, the placement of their piercings is a great way to convey their personal style, and with so many great spots to hold piercings, the ear tends to be a place on the body many begin with. If you're looking to learn more about the various piercings you can adorn your ears with, this guide will talk you through each type to ensure you choose the piercing placement for you. If you have (or intend to have) many ear piercings but don't know how best to accessorise them to suit your style, this guide is packed with ideas to help you curate your perfect ear stack.
What is a curated ear?
A curated ear - also known as a constellation piercing - involves precisely positioning a collection of studs, hoops, and other earring types in various areas around the ear to create a personal and stylish arrangement. This technique considers several factors, including skin tone, jewellery weight and style, and their placement with each other, all while ensuring your personal aesthetic is always at the forefront.
Where does the art of ear curation originate?
Ear piercing is a practice steeped in ancient heritage, dating back over 5000 years. It spans across cultures around the world, from its origins in Ancient Egyptian society where it denoted status, to its significance in Native American rites of passage. Today, the tradition of ear piercing continues, embraced as a form of self-expression and an element of fashion across diverse cultures and communities.
Like many style trends, there have been dips and peaks in popularity. The resurgence of Western-style ear piercing began in the mid-20th century during the pop-punk era, where ear piercings were seen as a sign of rebellion. Piercings quickly became more mainstream again during the late 1980s and 1990s, when we witnessed the emergence of piercing shops in the UK and the West Coast of the US. Over time, this trend has evolved and now offers more than 20 distinct types of ear piercings.
Where does the term ‘ear curation’ come from?
Surfacing in late 2015 and gaining traction in 2017, the ‘ear curation’ term was particularly popular on social media. Propelled into the spotlight by New York jewellery designer and retailer Maria Tash, the art of ear curation soared in popularity during the pandemic, when many sought avenues for creative expression. Maria Tash's approach transformed the concept of multiple ear piercings into more of an art form, encouraging individuals to think beyond having many separate and simple piercings, and explore the artistry of creating a piercing arrangement. The idea was to curate an ensemble of earrings that complemented each other in different ways, ultimately creating a harmonious and eye-catching display. The process allows individuals to experiment, mix, and match, and adorn their ears in ways that reflect their own unique style.
Ear curation continues to flourish as a form of self-expression. It's not just about piercing; it's about designing an ensemble that shows who you are and what style accurately represents your personality.
Where do I begin with curating my ear stack?
Styling ear piercings is all about making them work together seamlessly. We recommend beginning with considering the colour of the metal, as not only should your piercings match, but it's nice to ensure the metal enhances your skin tone. For cool-toned skin, silver jewellery tends to complement beautifully, while warm tones work really well with gold or rose gold jewellery. While there is no real right or wrong when it comes to metal colour, the balance between your skin tone and the metal of your earrings can truly elevate your overall look.
Another aspect to consider when selecting your earrings is the weight, size, and style of each. Each earring should not only complement each other, but also create a delightful constellation across your ear. Have fun experimenting with both symmetry and asymmetry, smaller earrings gradually melding into bigger earrings, and exploring different patterns and textures. Ultimately, achieving some kind of balance is key for a fashion-forward look, as ensuring the earrings accentuate the natural contours of your ear can help your curation align perfectly with you and your personal style.
From lobe to cartilage, each piercing presents a canvas for self-expression. From a minimalist, everyday look, to a classy occasion style, the piercing placement choice can often help to dictate the style of an ear stack, before the jewellery is even added.
Some piercing placements you could begin with:
Lobe
Helix
Conch
Daith
Rook
Tragus
What is a lobe piercing?
Generally considered the most common piercing type due to the softer, more accessible skin area, the lobe piercing sits on the fleshy, bottom part of the ear and can range from a solo piercing to a collection. The perfect placement for many different types of earrings, from classic studs and huggies to larger hoops and drop earrings, the lobe's flexibility allows for a great deal of self-expression, and provides a place that many heavier earrings can suspend from, unlike other piercing areas.
What is a helix piercing?
Positioned further up from the lobe and around the outer rim of the ear, the helix piercing is one of the more common forms of cartilage piercings. This location is great for smaller, more delicate earrings. From tiny studs to very subtle, dainty hoops or cuffs, these piercings can come in many style forms, such as adorned with gems or intricate designs. Helix piercings add a touch of sophistication to the upper ear, allowing for a mix of understated elegance and personal style.
What is a conch piercing?
Situated in the central part of the ear's cartilage, the conch piercing can accommodate a diverse range of earrings. Captive bead rings, barbells, or labret studs are popular choices for this part of the ear. This placement allows for various styles, from minimalistic studs to bold, eye-catching rings, making the conch a great canvas for sophisticated and diverse ear styling.
What is a rook piercing?
The rook piercing sits along the inner ridge of the upper cartilage. The perfect area for curved barbells, or dainty rings, the curvature if this area helps to create a unique accent to the upper ear. The rook's placement allows for subtle yet elegant jewellery options that help to highlight this specific area.
What is a daith piercing?
Nestled in the ear's innermost fold, the daith piercing is a much more distinctive placement. Lending itself well to holding captive bead rings, curved barbells, or circular barbells, its unique positioning allows for very creative jewellery choices that beautifully accentuate the ear's curvature.
What is a tragus piercing?
Sitting on the small, protruding cartilage near the ear canal, the tragus is an intimate spot often adorned with delicate studs or specially-designed hoop earrings. These delicate pieces add a subtle charm, creating a unique accent on the very central part of the ear.
How can I personalise my curated ear?
Personalising your curated ear is integral to achieving your ideal finished look. It's about embracing your unique style and putting personality into the selection of each earring as well as the placement. Your curated ear becomes your canvas to reflect who you are and therefore convey your individuality. Whether you blend metals, explore a diverse range of textures, or incorporate specific colours and symbols, personalising your curated ear will add heaps of depth and meaning. It's not just about following trends; it's about crafting an ear constellation that resonates with your narrative. Through customising your curated ear, you craft a distinctive statement that mirrors your identity, boosting confidence and allowing you to express yourself through fashion and accessories.
How can I create an everyday curated ear look?
If you're looking for a more understated curated ear that works for any time of day or occasion, aiming for simplicity will be your best option. Silver jewellery perfectly suits this approach, as it is versatile and sophisticated, and suits many skin tones. Silver jewellery is clean, unobtrusive, and subtle, effortlessly blending with the ear and allowing the focus to rest on the design of each individual earring. The simplicity of mixing silver with other metals allows for an easy combination of studs, hoops, or chains or cuffs without being overwhelming or overstimulating.
Silver is also great for those with sensitive skin, particularly if it is sterling silver, as it is a hypoallergenic metal, not typically with skin conditions. Adding sterling silver earrings to an everyday ear constellation is a great way to make your look both comfortable and stylish.
Pieces ideal for an everyday curated ear:
Lobe: Sterling Silver Chain Star Stud Earring in Silver
How can I achieve an on-trend curated ear look?
While many prefer to stick with one metal colour - and usually one that suits their skin tone perfectly - many like to try a bit of silver and gold together to create a unique, multi-dimensional look. Mixing metals has gone through many peaks in trending phases, but in the last few years has largely remained a steady trend. Involving the combination of two different metal tones, the mixed metal trend creates a diverse and visually impactful look, and tends to work best for earrings or rings due to the ease of increasing the volume of pieces in these areas. Cool silvers and warm, rich golds clash together so beautifully that this trend works perfectly for ear curation, and adds a level of intrigue to everyday style.
Pieces ideal for trendy mixed metal ear curation:
Lobe: Amazonite Stone Hoop Earrings in Gold
Lobe: Sterling Silver Small Domed Hoop Earrings
Lobe: Oval Huggie Hoop Earrings in Gold
How can I create a curated ear for a special occasion?
If you believe the boldness of a curated ear works better for an occasion than the everyday, then you'll want to focus on each earring to ensure your look gets that wow-factor. Whether you mix metals, add in dangling earrings, or oversize your look with chunky hoops, when creating an ear constellation perfect for an occasion, it's important to ensure visual impact is carefully considered. There are no rules for which metal colour works best for an occasion, as metals are personal to the wearer and quite often rely on skin tone, but gold is commonly associated with formal attire as it stands out beautifully against darker colours like black and rich jewel tones.
For a hair-up look, any earrings that hang and finish below the lobe are ideal, as they add extra intrigue to the bare neck area. Consider thread-through chain earrings, or bold dangle and drop studs to achieve a stylish look. For accompanying studs, anything starry, sparkly, or textured works perfectly for an occasion. If you've got more piercings at the bottom of your ear than the top and you want to balance the look, why not consider a quirky ear cuff to add extra detail at the top edge of the ear?
Great pieces for creating a curated ear for a special occasion:
Lobe - Thread Through Star and Pearl Chain Earrings in Gold
Lobe - Tiny Swarovski Crystal Jacket Earrings in Gold
Tragus - Tish Lyon Solid Gold Crystal Microbar Barbell
Helix - Titanium Marquise Crystal Helix Hoop Earring in Gold
How can I create a bold, colourful curated ear look?
There are many ways to go bold with ear curation without following trends like mixed metals or dangling studs. In fact, one of the best ways to add mass visual impact to a curated ear is by incorporating colour. Whether you're keen on wearing copious colours every day, or you're known for going monochrome and just want to add a sweet splash to your accessories, creating a striking, colourful curated ear is a great way to have fun with your accessories. Jewellery styles such as millefiori beads and cloisonné enamel are great for adding a multitude of colours and also feature some gorgeous patterns such as florals, fruits, and geometric. If you want to keep the colours coordinated, consider a rainbow theme, with each earring taking on a different colour of the rainbow. If, however, random colours and patterns are more your thing, go wild with picking out your studs and hoops, and you'll soon create a gorgeous colourful curated look you're bound to be complimented on.
Pieces perfect for a colourful curated ear look:
Lobe - Asymmetrical Millefiori Flower Bead Drop Earrings
Lobe - Red Cloisonné Hoop Earrings in Gold
The aim of ear curation is to design your own unique earring constellation. Having fun with the styles, colours, textures, and sizes of your earrings will allow you to completely personalise your curated ear, and ensure it stands out no matter your outfit or occasion. If you like some of the looks we've put together, or you just want to embrace your own individual creativity, take a look through our wonderful range of earrings to help you decide where to begin with your unique curated ear.
Please note: if your desired look requires further piercings, ensure you seek professional advice before making any decisions.
