Piercings are a little bit like tattoos: once you start, it’s hard to stop getting them. But before you dive in and get creative with a piercing gun, it might be worth booking an ear curation service so you don’t end up with overcrowded lobes. Here’s everything you need to know about how to curate the perfect ear stack (and where to go for advice).
How To Curate An Ear Stack, According To The Experts
What Is An Ear Stack?
‘An ear stack is basically when an ear is adorned with multiple jewels and piercings,’ says Vanessa Chilton, co-founder of British fine jewellery label Robinson Pelham. ‘They’re usually started from the lobe upwards, but can include piercings anywhere along the ear.’
(c) Robinson Pelham
What To Keep In Mind Before Starting An Ear Stack
Plan Ahead
If you know you want to get multiple piercings – either all in one go or gradually built up over time – then it’s best to get an idea of what kind of stack you want. Vanessa tells us that it’s important to have some kind of plan or inspiration (Pinterest is great for sourcing images) before going to the piercer. At Robinson Pelham, you can get up to four piercings at a time (it’s recommended you don’t get more than five in one sitting), and can consult stylists and piercers for this advice.
‘All ears differ,’ reminds Vanessa. ‘Think about what sort of earrings you will want to wear and how they will look with any piercings you already have: hoops, studs, studs with labret fittings (especially for cartilage piercings).’
Check The Size Of Your Ears
It’s also important to take into account the size of your ears, as this will determine how likely you will be able to have multiple piercings. ‘Depending on your ears, some piercings may not work,’ says Vanessa. ‘Piercers can give you advice on what will and won’t work, as can curation services such as ours; we style lots of ears and know what looks great from years of experience.’
Avoid Overloading
The last thing you want are ears laden down with jewellery to the point where it looks messy or feels uncomfortable to wear. By using a curation service, you can get advice directly from piercers and stylists on how best to organise your piercings – as well as find the right size and style of jewellery.
(c) Robinson Pelham
Styling An Ear Stack
Start With The Lobes
Finding the right starting point is crucial when it comes to building up an ear stack – and Vanessa tells us that, when it comes to styling, it’s best to start with the lobes: ‘We usually start with hoops in the lobe and then we work up the ear with smaller earrings to the mid point, where we will introduce a cuff (no piercing required) and then onto studs with labret fittings which can be worn on the flat, forward helix, tragus and more.’
It’s all about being careful with size and volume, but Vanessa does remind us that it’s OK to play around and see which styles work best for you when curating your ear stack.
Symmetry vs Asymmetry
An age-old question in the world of ear piercing: do you need to get the same piercings on both ears for them to look good? ‘Not necessarily,’ says Vanessa. ‘There is nothing wrong with symmetry, but we love non-symmetry and we encourage our customers to curate their ears differently.’ Not only do asymmetrical piercings make your ears differ from others, they also help the piercings that do go solo on each ear stand out all the more.
Mixing Metals
The same approach goes for mixing metals – it’s completely down to you whether you want to stick to one metal or mix and match them across your piercings. ‘You can indeed mix metals across your piercings,’ says Vanessa. ‘Or you can even dress one ear in one metal and the other ear in another for a fun twist.’
Ear Curation Services To Book Now
Robinson Pelham
As mentioned, fine jeweller Robinson Pelham has plenty of curation services for visitors to try out. Alongside a complimentary ear curation consultation – where you can get advice on how to style the brand’s jewellery using its Ear Menu – you can also swing by one of Robinson Pelham’s piercing parties, where you try the curation service and get a free piercing with every purchase. ‘Our next piercing party is on Saturday 16 December 2023. You can register on our homepage today.’
As well as being home to plenty of dainty jewellery pieces, Astrid & Miyu also has its own piercing studio where you can book a consultation appointment with the team to curate a new set of piercings. Astrid & Miyu charge a flat rate service fee of ÂŁ20 per 20-minute appointment (where you can get up to three piercings, with jewellery charged separately), and this covers advice, preparation and the time it takes to clean up the station before and after your piercing.
DETAILS:Â Multiple stores across London and the UK |Â astridandmiyu.com
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Monica Vinader
Monica Vinader offers a variety of piercing options when booking an appointment, from consultations and solo piercings to ‘First Piercing Appointment’ packages and ‘Ear Parties For Two’. Here, you can consult an experienced in-house piercer who can advise on the placement of your piercings (you can get up to three in one appointment). Appointments are ÂŁ20 and earrings are charged separately.
DETAILS:Â Multiple stores across London and the UK |Â monicavinader.com
