It’s Time to Get Reacquainted With the Ear Climber

By Brittany Siminitz | August 04, 2022

Let’s face it: Sooner or later, the time had to come for the curated earring party to wind down.

Not that the party is ending. In no way, shape, or form is this wildly popular way to wear (and collect) earrings bidding adieu. The personalization opportunities are too great, the design options too tempting, and we must take note of how valuable piercing parties can be to the in-store experience (some retailers offer piercing full-time in store, even).

But the pandemic earring came along and ushered in the era of the Zoom earring—aka styles significant enough to be noticed on video calls—and we realized that you can, in fact, go big again. We may have forgotten how for a while there, but it came back easily.

Anita Ko rain drop earrings — *Rain Drop earrings in 18k yellow gold with 1.94 cts. t.w. round, 0.41 ct. t.w. marquise, and 0.47 ct. t.w. pear diamonds, $13,875; Anita Ko*

Chandally Caterpillar ear climber — *Caterpillar stud ear climber in 18k yellow gold with 0.02 ct. t.w. diamonds, $580; Chandally*

Misahara emerald ear climbers — *Ear climbers in 18k yellow gold with 3.01 cts. t.w. Gemfields emeralds and 0.2 ct. t.w. diamonds, $11,500; Misahara*

On the subject of things that may have been forgotten—the ear crawler. About 10 years ago, perhaps a little less, these styles started to pop up all over, riding the ever-cycling wave of in-and-out jewelry trends. Predating the popularity of the curated single studs, the ear crawler did the job of many: climbing from the lobe and up the ear, some only a little bit, others, all the way. Some of the wilder pieces would be created in materials that made them more affordably priced, but fine jewelry had its way with the silhouette, too, with diamonds and pearls and brightly colored gems.

Mindi Mond ear climbers — *Cushion-cut ear climbers in sterling silver with 2.2 cts. t.w. diamonds, $9,800; Mindi Mond*

Kwiat ear climbers — *Ear climbers in 18k white gold with Ashoka-cut diamonds, price on request; Kwiat*

Brevani ear cuff — *Ear cuff in 14k white gold with 0.98 ct. t.w. diamonds, $2,620; Brevani*

The ear crawler never really went away, no truly good jewel ever does. It’s just that our attention was diverted by a great number of other worthy things, such as those aforementioned single studs—and even those have gone through phases (remember when the teeny tiny pinhead studs were all the rage?).

XOIA Duality Parallel — *Duality Parallel earrings in 18k white gold with black onyx and diamonds, $790; XOIA Fine Jewellery*

Olivia and Pearl ear climber — *Believer ear climbers, $134; Olivia & Pearl*

A fresh batch of ear crawlers have been cooked up by some of the most beloved brands, and the style has a new lease on life that feels very exciting.

Yessayan diamond ear climbers — *Mixed cut crawler earrings in 18k white gold with 4.23 cts. t.w. diamonds, $6,500; Yessayan*

Uniform Object ear climbers — *Single oval ear climber in 18k white gold with diamonds, $2,500; Uniform Object*

And never you mind any sort of unwritten style rules—rather than sporting a sole ear crawler on the lobe, we might consider it an honored invitee to the party, able to mix it up with our studs, huggies, and hoops for looks that are noticeably impactful, unforgettable, and fun.