Once you get a piercing, the itch to get another never really stops. One lobe piercing turns into three, and soon enough you are bargaining with your piercer about whether your cartilage can handle just one more stud. For anyone who prefers diamonds without additional punctures, the ear cuff has become the shortcut. You get the look of a stacked, glittering ear without the lifetime of punctures, and you can take it off before Sunday lunch with the family.
Ear cuffs are hardly a novelty. In India, they’ve long appeared as kundan-studded kaanphool and elaborate bridal ear chains. In the West, they’ve skimmed the edges of fashion: punk at Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier in the 1980s, grunge in the 1990s, and fleeting Chanel or Rodarte cameos in the early 2000s.
Once diamonds entered the picture, the cuff graduated from a rebellious add-on to legitimate fine jewellery. It’s less teenage experiment and more serious collectible. No surprise then that celebrities have already locked in. At the Emmys recently, Sarah Paulson wore a pair of creepers from Boucheron, the same ones that Rihanna wore at Cannes just a few months ago. Even American actor and playwright Colman Domingo dabbled with the diamond wings from the same brand, pushing the cuff firmly into gender-neutral territory.
What makes it interesting now is how you can wear it. The choices stretch from delicate coils that wrap around the conch to full-blown wings that cover your entire upper lobe and won’t get hidden behind your tresses. Jessica McCormack spirals gold and pearls around diamonds for a celestial twist, while Anita Ko’s Saturn cuff contrasts baguettes with bold pear shapes. Messika keeps it sleek with pavé and a haloed pear diamond, perfect to pair with studs if you like mixing. Maison Aneka goes maximal with emerald filigree, and Amaris delivers starburst drama that shines when stacked on both ears for balance.
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