When Buying Earrings...

Image via WikipediaWhen buying earrings the selection and variety can be overwhelming. Often it can help to have some simple guidelines help you to choose a pair of earrings that will look and feel the best for you. Here are some handy tips:

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Metals Used in Earrings

• Be Kind to Your Ears 
• Besides determining the color of an earring, metals can cause allergic reactions. However, If you are sensitive to metals, especially nickel, try to find hypo-allergenic earrings that use either titanium or niobium. The finest quality earrings that won't cause a reaction are: platinum earrings. In most cases 18 Kt or 14 Kt yellow gold earrings will also not cause a reaction. However, it depends on which metal you have a sensitivity against. 
• The durability and appearance of an earring often relies on the metal used. Many find the appearance of 14kt gold, 18 kt gold or sterling silver to be preferable to the alternatives. Though durable, often stainless steel seems to be more likely to cause allegic reactions than other metals.

Earring Styles 
The most popular earring styles going from simple to more elaborate include: stud, hoop, drop and chandelier. One could also choose an ear cuff.

Every Day Wear 

When choosing a style, think about how active you are. For those really active in sports, a stud earring (or possibly a very small hoop) is most likely to be the most comfortable earrings.

Formal Earrings 

More elaborate earrings such as drop and chandelier are usually best for those special occassions.

Neck Considerations 

For people who have a shorter neck, choosing a fancier stone (such as a diamond or pearl) for a stud earring will often look better than a drop earring; conversely, a drop earring or larger hoop will look stunning on those with longer necks.

Earring Embellishments 
Often one wonders how fancy should my earrings be? Should I include gemstones or bells or feathers? Know that as you add more materials to your earrings, the more careful you will need to be with them. Gemstones can be affected by water; Feather earrings and motorcycle rides don't mix as well as some hope. Buying according to your lifestyle is highly recommended.