What Are Huggie Earrings and Why They Are Great

Huggie earrings save time, are comfortable and can be slept in. Basically that’s the blog post. But I’m a chatty gal and have more to say about them.

No More Earring Backing Problems

Hair can catch on your earring backs.

Do you have long hair? Has your hair ever gotten wrapped around the post of your earring? Knotted up around the ear backing? That’s a nightmare I’ve been told about for years. This is especially problematic if you have fine hair. It defies gravity and fixates on your earring backing and post and can result in a bit of hair-pulling before you get your earrings off.

Huggies Don’t Use Earring Backs

The original huggie earrings hugged the earlobe, hence the name

Some wonderful jewelry designer, knowing how much women love hoop earrings, came up with a brilliant idea. They made a hoop earring with a hinge at the bottom. The post of the hoop is locked to the back of the hoop, closing the circle when the earring is clicked shut. Because no backing is needed, and the earring itself holds onto the post, a unique earring was born.

The original huggie earrings were quite small and literally hugged the earlobe. These earrings were so beloved that the next step was to make larger ones.

Huggies Look More Seamless on Your Ear Then Most Hoop Earrings

Regular hoops on left, hinge on top. Huggies on right, hinge on the bottom

Most hoops have a visible hinge in front on top where your ear hole is, which can take away from the pretty and clean look of a hoop. Especially with smaller hoop earrings, the way the earring connects with your earlobe, affects the beauty of the overall look.

Since the hinging area is down below, a huggie offers a clean line from earring to lobe.

Huggies Offer Fancier Looks

Huggie earrings in the Etruscan style with emeralds. I loved making these.

Once I realized how comfortable huggies were, I wore my post earrings less. The jewelers who make huggies got the message and started being very creative. They realized that what we really wanted was the hinge and not to mess with backings. But we still wanted choices, and happily we got them.

Telephone Friendly Huggies

Don’t get stabbed by your earrings when you talk on the phone

Do you wear post back earrings? Ever get poked in the neck by your post? I have, and once I even bled, when I got a very vigorous hug at a wedding. I believe drinking was involved. I now always wear my huggie earrings at weddings.

When you grab your phone and lean it into your shoulder as you multi-task, if you wear your huggies, it won’t hurt. Your chiropractor will still be your best friend if you do that, but at least you won’t get stabbed into the bargain.

Read about other telephone-friendly earring styles.

Sleeping in Huggies

I always recommend against wearing earrings to bed. But let’s be real. Some of us do it. Mmm, maybe I do it. Huggies will never jab you. So if you catch me sleeping in earrings, it’s always in my huggies.

Adjusting Your Huggie Posts

You may sometime find that one or the other of your huggies is not closing properly. If you’re in a rush and maybe push the back section of the huggie too vigorously onto the post, it may push it out of alignment. You should be able to feel or hear the click sound as your huggie snaps onto the post. I feel for it when I put them on. If you don’t feel it click shut, don’t wear them till you adjust them.

I’ve gotten calls to adjust huggies and thought it might be a good idea to share how to adjust them at home. Here’s my video on How To Adjust Your Huggie Earrings.

Steps to Adjust Your Huggie Posts

1) Pull out a pair of needle-nose pliers.

2) Note where your huggie post is notched. This tells you which direction it will lock into the back of the earring.

3) Slowly close your huggie in front of you, and see if the notch is too low to come in contact with the back of the earring.

4) Use your needle nose pliers to grasp the post. If you want to avoid leaving a tiny mark from the pliers, put a little strip of cloth on the post.

5) Grasp the front section of your huggie between your fingers.

6) Grasp the post with your needle-nose pliers.

7) Slowly and gently lift the post up a tiny bit.

8) Test the closure to see if it now clicks.

9)Repeat the process until the notch clicks properly into the back of the huggie earring.

It may take a number of tries to get the adjustment just right.

Always use slow and gentle movements so as not to snap off the post.

Getting Fancy and Custom Making Huggies

Custom made huggies

I just wanted an excuse to show you one more awesome huggie pair of earrings. My client wanted blue diamonds and loves hand engraving. Oh yeah, she loves huggies. I loved making these so much it was hard to deliver them!

Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla