Everything to Know About Ear Cuffs
While today a favored red carpet accessory among Hollywood’s brightest stars, these accessories trace all the way back to the Bronze Age
Ear cuffs are having a moment. Perhaps you saw Colman Domingo at the Met Gala last year, sporting a dramatic Boucheron climber. Or the surreal hand-shaped Schiaparelli cuffs recently sported by Kylie Jenner in Rome. Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence, and Cate Blanchett have all been spotted wearing this undeniably effortless style. It’s a low lift: no piercing is required, they slip on (albeit not always easily), are truly gender-fluid, and are easy to style in stacks. There’s historical precedent, too, from the Bronze Age through 18th-century Europe, late-20th-century punk fashion, to today’s luxe styles.
Below are a few current favorites:
1. Cartier Juste un Clou Ear Jewel
Aldo Cipullo’s iconic 1970s design has been imagined as a curvaceous ear cuff. The Juste Un Clou ear jewel debuted earlier this year, an elegantly spiraled nail motif in 18k white, yellow, or rose gold.
2. Hirotaka Manhattan Ear Cuff
Hirotaka Inoue has offered ear cuffs since his company debuted in 2010. The selection from this cult favorite Tokyo-based jeweler includes several Akoya pearl options, like the new Manhattan cuff shown here. Hirotaka maintains that cuffs are “an effortless way to explore asymmetry, which creates more movement in styling.”
3. Repossi Serti Sur Vide Ear Cuff
“Serti sur Vide” or “Set on the Void,” is a collection created by Gaia Repossi, granddaughter of Constantino Repossi, who founded the company in 1957 in Turin. Inspired in part by tribal jewelry from India and Africa, the collection includes several ear cuffs. This is the most dramatic—with a mix of pear-shaped and pavé diamonds—and affixes to the ear via clips.
4. ITÄ Bomba Ear Cuff
“We’ve always been drawn to the idea of ‘dressing the ear’ and creating a look that feels intentional yet a little unexpected,” noted ITÄ co-founder Inés A. Capó. “Ear cuffs have been part of ITÄ since our very first collection in 2019, and they remain one of our most expressive forms.” The brand’s current selection includes this Bomba number, inspired by pre-Columbian carvings. The 14k gold style is set with a choice of princess cut emeralds, sapphires or diamonds.
5. Marli Clio Lotus Twist Ear Cuff
Maral Artinian, founder of the jewelry brand Marli, is a long-time fan of the ear cuff. Why? “The beauty of an ear cuff is that they work for everybody,” she says. Marli currently offers about half a dozen styles, from the minimal to the look-at-me. The Clio Lotus Twist, shown here in white gold with turquoise and diamonds, leans toward the latter. It comes in a rainbow of stones set in white, yellow or rose gold.
6. Khaite Empire Ear Cuffs
Cult-favorite cool-girl label Khaite has also gotten in on the ear cuff act. But unlike others who sell singles, Khaite’s Empire ear cuffs arrive as a set of two different sizes, ready to stack. The geometric shape—made in Italy using either 18k gold or palladium-plated brass—is Art Deco-inspired, with subtle fluting.
7. Messika Fiery Mono Clip
Messika’s first ear cuffs debuted 2014 as part of the Glam’Azone collection and have appeared on red carpets ever since. The original intention was the ear accoutrement version of a real estate grab. Founder Valérie Messika recalls wanting “to adorn the entire ear, not simply create a small ring around the cartilage as we often see today.” The Fiery Mono cuff features a pear-cut diamond suspended from an encrusted cuff. Available in white, pink, and yellow gold.
8. Hermès Pop H Ear Cuff
Hermès has once again turned its monogram into a graphic wearable. The Pop ear cuff is aptly named, and does indeed pop when worn in one of the brighter enamels offered. There are anywhere from three to seven shades available, depending on the metal one chooses (rose, yellow, or palladium plated).
9. Georg Jensen Mercy Ear Cuff
The heritage brand began collaborating with American-born, London-based jeweler Jacqueline Rabun over 25 years ago. In that time, Rabun, who is self-taught, has designed three collections—Offspring, Mercy, and Reflect—as well as semi-regular additions to those lines. The Mercy ear cuff is an organic shape meant to gently wrap around the ear, “serving as an emotional reminder to always be compassionate.” In recycled 18k gold and sterling silver.
10. Chanel Coco Earring Clip
It’s hard to believe, but the Coco Crush collection originally debuted in 1955, inspired by Chanel’s iconic quilted motif. New additions are similarly inspired. These Coco earring clips, for example, bear tiny quilting details in 18k yellow, beige or white gold, accented by a single diamond. In “C” and “O” options that, when stacked properly, will spell out Gabrielle Chanel’s nickname.