What to Do If You Have a Single Earring

Have you ever had a pair of earrings that you love? You wore them all the time until…you lost one. You can’t just wear one earring, so the single stud, hoop, or dangling piece of jewelry that had left sat alone in your jewelry box.

But is there a better way? Can you do something with that single earring that would allow you to continue to use and wear the jewelry you love? Here are some ideas to prevent solo pieces from sitting in jewelry boxes or — worse — being thrown away.

Solutions to Lost Earrings

1. Mismatch it 

Mismatching earrings have become a trend in the past few years. It’s a look that’s “messy” and “imperfect” — the mismatch is part of the charm. They have more of a story than earrings matched perfectly, especially if you do it the right way.

But what is the “right” way? Some people think mismatched jewelry makes it look like you got ready in the dark. Yet, if you keep your earrings coordinated (instead of matching), you can make them look intentional.

For instance, choose earrings with a similar theme, color, metal, material, or stone. Take some inspiration from these two mismatched sets:

• Mismatched Moon and Star Earrings
• Star and Moon Dangles

 2. Repurpose earring

If you’ve loved a piece as an earring, but you only have one left, think about how you could wear it another way. For instance, diamonds from a hoop earring could be reused in a diamond by the yard necklace or bracelet. Additionally, if you have dangling earrings with pretty pendants, you could put the one you have left on a chain and wear it around your neck.

Getting to create not only a cost-effective option but also a sustainable one. Quality jewelers work hard to reduce waste, and consumers can do their part by not needlessly discarding old earrings, repurposing what they have, and purchasing intentionally. This is true for broken jewelry too!

3. Duplicate lost earrings 

Jewelers can replicate an item that you love. If you have a pair of earrings or a necklace that was special to you, consider reaching out to a jeweler who customizes their pieces. If you have a replica made of the first earring, then you’ll be able to wear the original you have left. It’ll be like you never lost it!

Additionally, if you have any diamonds or gems in good condition from a broken earring that you want to be repurposed, then those can be used in a new piece as well.

4. Lost earring replacement

Even though earrings are often sold in pairs in stores and online, that doesn’t mean the retailer won’t sell you a half pair. It is always a good idea to ask the jeweler if they can sell you half a pair (at a discount) to replace your lost earring.

At Alexis Jae, we’re happy to make custom pieces for our clients. Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss what to do about a lost earring.

Should You Get Jewelry Insurance?

Tons of people invest in homeowners’ and car insurance daily. Heck, you may even have pet insurance. But what about jewelry insurance?

You may have heard about this insurance in the case of an engagement ring. Most people are stuck wondering whether this is a worthwhile investment or a scam. Is it really a worthwhile investment, or are you losing money by purchasing it?

When NOT to Purchase Jewelry Insurance

· You wear costume jewelry

· You purchase your jewelry from fast fashion stores (ex: Zara, H&M, etc.)

When TO Purchase Jewelry Insurance

· You have jewelry of significant value that you’d want to replace in the case of loss, theft, or damage. This, of course, includes engagement rings and wedding bands, but it also means items like tennis bracelets, station necklaces, and gold earrings.

· You purchase real gems and metal when buying jewelry

Where to Purchase Jewelry Insurance

You can purchase an individual jewelry insurance policy if desired. However, most people like to check with their existing homeowner’s or renter’s insurance company (if they’re already using one) to see if they can just do an add-on to their policy. There are also online sites, such as Oyster, that streamline the process.

If you choose this route, make sure you specify whether you’ll need to list out every piece you want to be covered with the insurance. In some cases, this is the only way you’ll be able to get your items replaced should something happen.

If you go with the separate policy, you’ll need to list individual values for each item and provide proof of purchase or worth based on an appraisal.

How Much Jewelry Insurance Costs

The price for jewelry insurance will depend on the value of the jewelry and how much you want to cover. Often, it’s around 1 to 3 percent of the item’s overall value per year.

The classic example is for an engagement ring because that’s when most people first investigate jewelry insurance. If you purchase an engagement ring for $10,000, your insurance premium will likely cost between $100 and $300 annually.

How Do You Avoid Losing an Earring?

Are you over-losing your earrings? Certain tricks can help you avoid this frustration in the future.

1. Purchase earring backs that lock

Not all earring backs are created equal. While the backs that come with your earrings will keep them in place, they don’t necessarily have a “security” mechanism. This means that earrings can still fall out and get lost. In the next section, we’ll cover all the special types of earring backs that you can purchase if you want to avoid losing an earring.

1. Pin your earrings in place

Not everyone has a jewelry box that they can use to keep track of all their favorite pieces. Some people have used a small dish or their bedside table drawer for their entire lives. If you find yourself in this situation, consider some common everyday items you can use to secure your earrings by “pinning” them.

For instance, take a cork from a wine bottle. Place it on your nightstand and push the backs of your earrings into it when they’re not in use. You can stick both earrings to the cork next to each other, so they’ll always be visually available. It’s much harder to lose this cork than it is a smaller earring! If you use this method, we recommend keeping a small dish of earring backs close by.

Additionally, a watch strap can be very helpful if you want to keep your earrings and earring backs paired together. The holes in a watch strap are the perfect size for pining your earrings. Plus, you’ll be able to see when each has a match visually.

1. Hook earrings to each other

Some people don’t lose earrings when they’re in their ears. In fact, they only lose them when they take them out. They may set them on the coffee table, purse, bedside table, car cupholder, or another location…that’s the problem! They can’t seem to keep track of them. Days later, they find one and not the other.

Here’s an easy trick that can help you make sure your stud earrings always stay together no matter what. If you take off one pair of earrings, attach them by poking one stud through the back of the other. Then, secure it like this, so you know you’ll always have both.

If you happen to lose both, that’s disappointing, but at least you’ll be able to wear the pair together when you have them! No more hopelessly searching for missing earring pairs.

Secure Earring Backs

If you’re looking for special earring backs that are specifically designed for security, we recommend the following.

1. Screw Back

This is the most secure type of earring back. It is spun onto the post and pressed against the back of the ear lobe. The back cannot be easily pulled off. Instead, you must manually unscrew it. Some people love these if they have lost many earrings in the past or if they’ve had a negative experience with their earrings being pulled before. However, they do take a while to put in earrings, which can be tedious for some people. We recommend these as a solid option for high-value earrings. However, they require fine motor skills, so they are not recommended for everyone.

1. Locked

The Chrysmela earring back is known as the “lock-and-unlock” earring back on the market. It’s highly secure and fits most earrings on the market today. The founder of this product created it after losing an earring of her own and wants people today to feel confident “wearing your diamond studs and other favorite earrings every day with confidence.”

Final Thoughts

Get creative if you’ve lost a single earring recently! Wear it mismatched, put it on a chain, or reach out to us at Alexis Jae to create something new. Lost earrings don’t have to be the end of your favorite piece of jewelry.

Our mission at Alexis Jae is to help people skip the middleman and invest in high-quality, ethically sourced jewelry. We only sell fine jewelry (14k or 18k gold) featuring precious or semi-precious stones. Start shopping today and save 50% off traditional retail prices! Visit here to learn more.