The most-worn pearl piece, and the one where mounting quality matters most.
The everyday classic. A 7–8 mm pearl stud suits nearly everyone; 6 mm reads as understated, 9 mm and above as a statement. Because studs sit against the face, lustre is more noticeable here than in almost any other piece — this is a good place to prioritise quality over size.
Movement catches light and shows a pearl's lustre to best advantage. Drops suit larger and baroque pearls that would look heavy as studs, and are the natural home for a single fine Tahitian or South Sea pearl.
This is the part buyers overlook. Pearls are drilled and mounted on a post with adhesive, either half-drilled (a cup and post glued into a partial hole) or fully drilled. A well-made earring shows a snug cup with no visible adhesive at the join and no play when you gently rock the pearl.
Check for movement. If a pearl rotates or wobbles on its post, the adhesive has failed or was never adequate. This is the most common defect in cheap pearl earrings and the most common repair jewellers see.
Solid gold or sterling silver posts, not plated base metal, if you have any sensitivity. Screw-back or locking butterfly fittings are worth paying for on valuable pearls — standard butterfly backs loosen over a day's wear and are the usual reason a single earring goes missing.
Two pearls sitting either side of a face are compared directly by anyone looking at you, so matching matters more in earrings than anywhere else. Check that both agree on size, shape, colour, overtone and lustre in the same light before buying.