I was shopping online (when am I not?) when I noticed a jewelry look I’ve since become infatuated with: the small hoop earring. Ordinarily I think you’d call it a huggie, though in the particular iteration that caught my eye, there was the teeniest bit of space between skin and metal. Whether it’s properly labeled a small hoop earring or a huggie, it’s a big departure from the hoop earrings with the baseball-size circumference that have been trending as of late (I still like those, too).

This clean look was so beautifully polished, I wasn’t even paying attention to the clothes the site was attempting to sell—I was too entranced by this pair of earrings. And then I noticed them again, on a girl at the grocery store. Again, simple, no-fuss—just pretty. They reminded me of these little hoop earrings I used to buy at Claire’s when I was younger, though these are obviously much higher quality and built to stand the test of time (and not turn your ears green). For easy-breezy sophistication, the jewelry addition is foolproof: Whether you have on yoga pants or office attire, you’re guaranteed to look put together. They’re magic earrings.

Now this is my biggest must-have, and I find myself on the hunt for the perfect pair of gold huggies. And just as soon as I’ve done that, I’m setting my sights on these, from one of my all-time favorites Jane Taylor Jewelry. This pair elevates that petite pretty look with a rainbow of pastel sapphires (which is perfect timing, since I was just talking about how perfect pastels are right now). They clinch that well-composed look and more with their surge of color, brightening any look you could dream up. They’d look great in an earring group, too, if you wanted to mix and match with some studs or even another pair of huggies to get really creative. I’m currently of the mindset that the simpler the better, so I’d sport them solo, but I could certainly be convinced of the merits of mixing it up. Snag these for the spring season now, and wear them forever after—no matter how you choose to style them.

Huggie earrings in 14k yellow gold with 0.42 ct. t.w. mixed pastel sapphires, $925

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor