Pearl size for stud earings - how big is too big?

[chemgirl]

I am looking for some white pearl studs. I was thinking of going for the 9.5-10.0 mm freshadamas from Pearl Paradise. I have a specific event in mind and they will be the only piece of jewlery I will be wearing on this particular occasion. I want them to be a statement piece.

That said, I don''t have a huge jewlery budget and I would like to be able to wear these earings on regular days as well (ie to work, groccery store) without looking out of place. Would 9.5-10.0 mm look too large for day to day wear? I realize that they will stand out, but would they stand out too much?

I realize this is a matter of personal opinion, but some input would be really helpful!

Pictures would be great as well.

 

[elle_chris]

I don''t think 9.5-10mm are too big for everyday wear. The biggest I own are 9mm tahitian earrings and they''re not big enough to make a statement.
If you were asking 12mm and above, I might say too much for casual wear, but even then- some women can carry them off with jeans and a t-shirt and look perfect. Have you tried any on?

 

[Kaori Oku]

I''m considered really small but I wear all my pearl earrings around 10mm. I have one pair of Mikimoto akoya that is 6mm and I really like them because they are so pretty, but I almost don''t wear them for the larger ones I have in freshwater and Tahitian now. I think it''s a good every day look unless you go too big like 12 mm. I could never wear that unless it was on a pendant style earrings.

 

[yssie]

I think it really depends - age, ear-size, the way you generally dress...I do think it''ll be hard to find a statement piece that you can also wear day-to-day - they''re contradictory purposes

I have a pair of 11mm SSs that I never, ever wear. They''re too big for me, they droop and I think I look ridiculous in them. I wear my 7mm akoyas absolutely everywhere, and I think they''re perfect, but they''re not statement pieces!

 

[lizzyann]

Hi, I have a pair of the 7.5-8mm freshadamas and I love them and wear them daily but I wouldn''t say that they are a statement piece. But I would say that they can be very dressy as well as casual. And they get a lot of compliments too!

 

[ksinger]

I wear 11mm almost every day, BUT...they are set on shepherd''s hooks and dangle JUST below the earlobe. Believe me, you can see them exceedingly well, and yet they are not flashy, and quite simple. I chose this because I can''t bear the thought of having to take them off whenever I''m on the phone so that I don''t bang them up. This works well for me.

I also have 9mm with little diamonds that are earring charms that go on some very small Zasha hoops, also a good look and a bit dressier.

I know you said studs, but this is an idea for larger pearls, since I too don''t like the droop, or the look of round pearls sticking out to THERE from my ears.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I have the opposite concerns - I wish I could find pearl studs smaller than 6.5-7mm. I prefer really delicate jewelry. But most people woul not find 9.5-10mm too large - I think they would look great! I''m just a weirdo about my own studs

 

[Callisto]

I agree with what yssie said about drooping being an issue. I have tiny ears and I bought a pair of 8mm (though they weren''t particularly high quality so the size might be off) and they droop on my ears and look silly. I love big earrings but I can''t do big posts due to my ear size. I like ksinger''s idea of big pearls on shepard''s hooks I think that would allow you to get even bigger ones without looking too big.

 

[anne_h]

As others have said, it really depends on your unique stature and presence.

Personally, 8mm looks "normal" on me, while 10mm is closer to "statement". BTW, I''ve not yet experienced the "droop" thing others are referring to. lol!!

BTW, I find as I get older, I like and am more comfortable pulling off larger jewelry pieces in general. Hooray!

Anne

 

[Indylady]

Date: 4/17/2010 10:20:42 PM
Author: yssie
I think it really depends - age, ear-size, the way you generally dress...I do think it''ll be hard to find a statement piece that you can also wear day-to-day - they''re contradictory purposes

I have a pair of 11mm SSs that I never, ever wear. They''re too big for me, they droop and I think I look ridiculous in them. I wear my 7mm akoyas absolutely everywhere, and I think they''re perfect, but they''re not statement pieces!

+1 I also love and live in my 7mm akoyas; however, my mom prefers 9-10mm studs for day to day wear. I think it just depends.

 

[chemgirl]

Thank you everyone for your help!

I think I''ve decided to go with the 9.5 to 10.00 mm. I feel that size will pop with my black dress and still work for day to day wear. I''m six feet tall and i have long curly hair, so I think I can go fairly large and have them still look casual if I want them to.

 

[DiaDiva]

Date: 4/19/2010 11:15:40 PM
Author: chemgirl
Thank you everyone for your help!


I think I''ve decided to go with the 9.5 to 10.00 mm. I feel that size will pop with my black dress and still work for day to day wear. I''m six feet tall and i have long curly hair, so I think I can go fairly large and have them still look casual if I want them to.

Chemgirl, at 6 feet and with long hair, I think you''ll rock with 10 to 11 mm pearls. I''m 5ft 5" and I like 11 mm best. But I also have biggish lobes.

 

[DiaDiva]

You might also want to check out the pearl earrings selection from Elana. Link here

 

[cushioncutnut]

I am almost 5.5 with bigger earlobes too. After trying on several size earrings thinking I would just love the bigger sizes (10-11mm) I ended up getting a gorgeous pair of 8.5-9mm pearl earrings. They don't droop and overtake my ears the way the larger sized ones did. Also, if you have a job where you may answer phones alot, the larger sized pearls may not be so convenient to wear. I will post pics to give a size comparison for you.

ETA: I would just go out and try different sizes on just to be sure though.

 

[cushioncutnut]

I second the motion that Elana is great to work with. I bought 2 strands from her and I love them!!

Although these aren''t from Elana... here is a few pics for size comparison. Hope that helps!

 

[cushioncutnut]

closer... oh how I hate ear shots...

 

[winternight]

Studs look so different on different people! I have a pair of 9.4 mm studs and they look big and slightly droopy - I don''t think I could go any bigger.

 

[yssie]

Ears!


Mmm, gotta love the closeups