Drop and dangle earrings

Drop or dangle, where the line is drawn

Both words get used for the same earring most of the time, and that is fine. Jewelers do separate them. A drop hangs still from its fitting, while a dangle swings loose from a hook or a hinge. You feel the difference the moment you put a pair on. One stays calm through dinner, the other catches light every time you laugh. We keep both shapes in the collection, since most people end up owning one of each.

Stones, pearls and lab grown diamond

Moissanite carries most of this collection, cut pear, emerald, round or as a teardrop. It throws more fire than diamond for a small fraction of the price. Beside it you will find blue sapphire, zircon and natural freshwater pearl, the quietest of the four and the easiest to wear at work. One pair holds a yellow lab grown diamond. A bezel setting rings the stone in a rim of silver, a halo surrounds it with pavé, and our tennis drops run a line of small stones down the whole length.

Hooks, levers and threaders

The fitting counts for more here than on a stud, because the weight pulls all day. A lever back closes behind the lobe and locks, so it is the one least likely to slip off during a long evening. Fish hooks slide through and stay light. Latch backs and hinge backs sit somewhere between the two. The threader is its own animal, a fine chain you pull through the piercing until the drop hangs exactly where you want it, and ours comes in gold.

How long should they fall

Length changes a face more than the stone does. A short drop widens a long face, a longer one draws the eye down the neck and stretches a round face. Hair worn up shows the whole earring, so a long pair earns its place there. Under a high collar or a winter scarf, keep it short. Both lengths sit in the D-Carats collection for that reason.