How to Buy Clip-On Earrings

While not as common as the pierced variety, clip-on earrings are available in a wide variety of colors, finishes and styles. Clip-on earrings are a great way to accessorize an outfit without making the more permanent commitment of piercing your ears. For women who already have pierced ears, clip-ons are a better option for heavier dangling earrings, where a hook or post style might hurt or stretch the ear hole. While it can be something of a shopping scavenger hunt, you can buy the right pair of clip-on earrings for you.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Decide what style of earrings you need ahead of time. Evaluate your current collection and figure out what's missing. You may need colored earrings for casual wear, gemstones to match a necklace you already own or neutral gold or silver earrings for all occasions. It helps to make a list on a note card to keep in your purse, to avoid impulse buying of quirky colors or styles you don't need.

2. Wear the necklace or bracelet you hope to match, to be sure you make the right decision. If you need earrings for a particular outfit, wear that outfit to the store. If it's a formal dress, wear something with a similar neckline to find earrings that work well with it.

3. Visit a large department store or a discount store for a good variety of clip-on earring choices. They may have separate racks available just for clips, while some designer pieces will be integrated with the pierced styles. Stores with handcrafted jewelry also are worth checking for clip-on earrings. Small costume jewelry chains geared toward teens and fine jewelry stores, however, will usually only have pierced styles.

4. Look at the back of the jewelry racks to find clip-on earrings quickly. Most department and discount stores have earrings on spinning wire racks, and from the front it isn't always obvious which are the clip-ons. Looking through the opening to see into the center of the rack will allow you to view the backs of all the earring choices, making it easy to differentiate between the posts and clips.

5. Flat, magnet, round, and screw clip styles.

   Select a round style rather than a flat clip. Rounded clips are generally more comfortable, and their design allows them to be easily bent for a looser or tighter feel. Keep an eye out for those with a screw adjustment, as these offer the perfect custom fit. Magnet closures are best for a streamlined look that mirrors pierced styles, but be sure the earrings aren't too heavy for the strength of the magnet.

6. Look for nickel-free earrings to protect your skin. Even without an opening in the ear lobe, some metal clips can cause irritation to sensitive ears. Sterling silver or other fine jewelry is a good choice, but watch for costume jewelry labeled "nickel free" as a less expensive option.

7. Check the condition of the earrings before you buy them. Be sure that the metal isn't dull or turned, that all the beads or gems are in place and that the pieces match each other.

8. Try on the earrings. Check out how they work with your hair style and neckline in one of the jewelry counter mirrors. It's also important to be sure both clips work, as sometimes they have been damaged or don't have the proper tension. Flat clip styles are difficult to adjust, so be sure they aren't too tight. Some earrings are made with too small a clip for their weight and can slip off. Like shoes that are too tight, earrings that are uncomfortable in the store will become excruciating after a full day of wear. Put back any earrings that don't fit comfortably.

9. Buy more than one pair. Finding a good selection of clip-on earrings isn't always easy, so it's important to get as many as you can when you do find them. Buy some neutral pairs in metal tones to be sure you have something to work with every outfit.

Tips & Warnings

• Save time and the frustration of searching by shopping online. Specialty web stores like Cliptomania and The Clip On Earring Store allow you to search by style, color, metal and gemstone, and offer nickel free options. Prices plus shipping may run a little higher than department store finds, but online shopping offers greater convenience and selection.

• Shop at art fairs and craft shows to find unique pieces available in clip-on styles. If you don't see any clip earrings, ask the artist if he can convert them. He may charge a small fee, but many times he will do the conversion for free.

• Don't try on earrings if you have any kind of ear injury or infection. If you don't buy the earrings, germs could spread to other customers who try or purchase that pair.

Resources

• JC Penney stores
• Kohl's earrings
• Stein Mart store locator
• Cliptomania
• The Clip On Earring Store