Conch Earrings

A conch piercing is a piercing of the conchal cartilage, which is the prominent area of the cartilage in the centre of the outer ear. It is referred to as the conch because the shape is reminiscent of a conch shell. This popular piercing spot comes in two types.

Inner conch piercings are located closer to the ear canal in the centre of the conchal cartilage. Outer conch piercings can be found on the flat portion of the cartilage, closer to the outer edge of the ear.

Conch piercing earrings come in many styles, including hoop styles, labret studs, barbell earrings, and captive bead earrings. This means you can really express your personal style with this kind of piercing.

Yes, you can! While having the conch piercing will make wearing conch earrings much easier, there are still options for anyone who doesn't want to get the piercing. You might want to avoid the piercing due to work or school rules on piercings or simply because you don't want to deal with the needles!

Options for those who want to mimic the conch piercing without pierced ears include wearing magnetic conch earrings. These can stay in place with the use of a magnet and effectively mimic the earring.

Another option is conch ear cuff earrings. These ear cuff styles are very popular with people who do not want piercings as they hug the ear rather than going through a piercing. They come in many styles and can be made to fit the conch area.

In theory, yes, you can put normal earrings in your conch piercing, but many piercers would advise against it. This is because of the following reasons.

• Fit: A conch-piercing earring is usually thicker than normal earrings. The gauge of the stud will be larger, meaning that regular earrings are too thin for the hole. This could lead to the earring falling out.
• Material: Lobe piercings are often much less sensitive than cartilage piercings which is why they're not always made with the best materials. A conch earring needs to be something like titanium, gold, or surgical steel to make it suitable for long-term wear.
• Healing time: A conch piercing can take a long while to heal, so changing the jewellery often can have an impact on how long it takes to heal.

Conch shell earrings have nothing to do with a conch piercing (unless you've found a ring with a conch shell dangle for your conch!) and are actually a reference to earrings with a conch shell adornment. This might be a small dangle charm or an engraving.

Conch shell jewellery, like necklaces and anklets, is very popular in the summer months, and you can often find them in beach gift shops and other places like this. They exude summer and remind us of vacations past.

The conch part of your ear, where the piercing goes, is referred to as the conch due to its similarities to the conch shape itself.

A conch piercing can take between six and twelve months to heal, but it will be different from person to person. Most piercers will not pierce your conch with a hoop earring because hoops move around a lot. Movement can be disruptive to healing and means the healing process takes even longer. It can also lead to irritation.

If you change your earring too early, you may end up irritating the piercing and having to go back to a barbell or labret stud anyway. At Camile & Stone, we're not experts in piercing, so we always recommend that you discuss earring changes with your piercer first.

Some piercers will even make the change over for you so that the new piece fits quickly and hygienically.

Conch earrings need to be designed for long-term wear. Due to the long healing time, you're going to be wearing your earring for up to a year but for at least six months. This means the earring has to be hypoallergenic and biocompatible.

Metals that are used for this kind of jewellery include

• Solid gold: Uusally 14K to 18K, this metal comes in yellow and white options and is well-tolerated by most people. Make sure to find nickel-free options.
• Implant-grade titanium: This is considered the best metal for body jewellery and will often be used for your initial piercing. It is corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic.

Yes, of course they can! Men can have all of the same piercings as women. It is a great way to express your personal style and offers an outlet for your creativity.

As with women's conch jewellery, men should only wear studs and barbells in the early stages of the piercing but can often change to hoops and other styles after a year or so. Popular styles for men include:

• Plain hoops in silver or gold
• Captive bead rings, sometimes in dark metals too
• Plain barbells or barbells with crosses and other subtle shapes
• Labret studs

The earrings best for conch piercings include:

• Conch stud earrings: Usually in the form of labret studs and barbells, stud earrings are the perfect choice for new piercings as they don't move as much.
• Conch hoop earrings: Hoops are a popular choice after healing and come in lots of styles and sizes so you can decorate your ear to your personal style.

Dangle conch earrings: While you can't get dangle or drop earrings as you do for lobe piercings that would fit your conch, you can usually find captive bead rings and other rings with small dangles that are suitable for your conch.