In this article, I’m going to talk about what earring sizes I get for all my cartilage piercings. For ear cartilage piercing jewelry, it’s very important to pick out the right cartilage piercing jewelry size.
This includes the length of the bar or, if it’s a hoop, the diameter, as well as the gauge, which is how thick the actual part that goes through your ear is.
It’s a little bit tricky to figure out what cartilage piercing jewelry size you need. So I’m going to share what sizes and types of cartilage jewelry I wear.
Forward Helix Cartilage Piercing Jewelry Size
Let’s start with my forward helix. I have a flat-back push-pin labret. With a lot of cartilage ear piercing jewelry you have to screw in the backing, but with this one you don’t.
It’s just a push pin, so it’s very easy to put in. That’s extremely helpful because this particular piercing is very tight—there’s not a lot of space to twirl a backing—so that was very helpful there.
Gauge Size for Forward Helix
I went with an 18-gauge earring. An 18-gauge piercing is one of the thinner options that you can usually go for, and I like to keep my piercings very dainty, so I do like to go with the thinner options.
Most cartilage earrings are 16, 18, and 20 gauge, I’ve noticed—a common range that determines your cartilage piercing jewelry size.
Bar Length and Stone Size
For the bar length, I went with a 6 mm bar for my cartilage piercing jewelry size. I find that it’s a little bit too long for that particular area. I believe 6 mm is the standard size, but for me I could have definitely gone down a little bit because I have some space.
And then the actual stone is 1.5 mm. It’s tiny. I wanted something super dainty, but I actually think that I should have gone with something a little bit bigger because it’s really not noticeable at all, and I want it to be at least a little bit noticeable. I might also try a cartilage earring hoop in that spot, depending on the cartilage piercing jewelry size.
Conch Cartilage Ear Piercing Jewelry Size
Let’s move on to my conch. For my conch piercing, I like to swap out studs and hoops. I think my favorite is the hoop, but it gets a little bit irritated if I sleep on that side because it’s sticking out.
Cartilage Earring Hoop Specifications
I use a clicker hoop— helpful when dialing in your cartilage piercing jewelry size.
If you don’t know what that is, it’s a a type of cartilage piercing jewelry hoop that closes smoothly; when you close it, it doesn’t have clasps or hinges that stick out and get caught on your ear, so it becomes completely smooth.
Mine is a 20-gauge, 10 mm-diameter hoop— a cartilage piercing jewelry size that looks thin yet secure.
In my opinion, the diameter could be a little bit bigger because sometimes it feels a little bit snug. It doesn’t feel uncomfortable, but it looks like it’s pressing down a little bit too much.
I went with 20 gauge because I wanted something that was visibly thin. With a hoop you can see how thick the actual piercing is.
Stud Options for Conch Piercing
When I wear a stud, I often reuse regular earrings from my earlobes. I previously used a silver flat-back (18 gauge, 6 mm bar). The size felt perfect.
Switching between 18 and 20 gauge has been comfortable for my cartilage piercing jewelry size. If you can’t find an exact match, being off by one gauge usually works fine.
Why Regular Studs Aren’t Ideal
With those, I can totally wear regular stud earrings in there, but the problem with regular studs is that they’re typically the butterfly-back ones, and they get snagged a lot. They don’t really get snagged on your earlobes because your earlobes are close to your head.
When it comes to your helix, especially, it sticks out more. You could wear regular studs pretty much in any piercing that fits, but it’s not the best idea; it’s definitely not the most comfortable, especially if the cartilage piercing jewelry size isn’t dialed in.
Cartilage Earrings Hoop Size for Helix
My current clicker hoop is 7 mm in diameter, creating a relaxed drop— my preferred cartilage piercing jewelry size for this look. I could definitely size down with it; then it would rest higher up on my ear and hug my ear more. At the moment, it flops down.
I personally like it to flop down, so I like this size. But a smaller cartilage piercing jewelry size would definitely fit. I think 6–7 mm is usually good for your helix, but if your ear is a little bit bigger in that area, then maybe 8 mm.
I had an 8 mm one there once and it didn’t look too big either; it was fine for my cartilage piercing jewelry size preferences. So you can be pretty flexible with those—that’s my point. The clicker hoop is also a 20-gauge piercing. It’s nice and thin, but not too thin.
Alternative Hoop Styles for Cartilage Jewelry
At one point, I also had a different hoop in there, and it wasn’t like the clicker hoop. It was the kind that you bend out, thread through, and then bend closed. That was a good option and usually cheaper.
The one I had was good, but it did tarnish—and it was super cheap. The one downside was that there was always a little gap where the two ends should meet. That’s okay if you’ve had your piercing for a long time, but if it’s a fresh piercing and that gap gets caught inside your ear, there’s a chance your ear will close in that gap.
That happened to me—not super bad where it was stuck, but it hurt to move it around because it would get caught, which can complicate choosing the right cartilage piercing jewelry size for new piercings.
Ball-Back Stud Specifications
The other helix jewelry that I have right now is a ball-back stud — 20 gauge with a 1 mm ball and 1.8 mm stone — a cartilage piercing jewelry size that balances comfort and appearance. It has a little ball on the back. It doesn’t get snagged on things.
I think I prefer a flat back just because it’s more minimal and flat, but this is also nice—they just didn’t have a different option. The ball is easier to hold, so it might be easier to take in and out, although I always get my sister’s help to change those out. They’re very tiny, but I think it looks so cute with the two together.
I’ve always gotten all my cartilage ear piercing jewelry from titaniumearrings.shop, and I always double-check the cartilage piercing jewelry size before ordering, except for the ones that the piercer put in. The ones that my piercer put in were always a bit thicker and a bit chunkier.
I believe it was more of a 16-gauge type of situation, maybe 18 depending, but they were always a bit thicker and also a bit longer in the bar length and the diameter. That’s because they account for swelling and they want the hole to be big enough. It makes sense to make it a little bit bigger.
Tips for Finding Your Perfect Cartilage Piercing Jewelry Size
Now that we’ve gotten all that information out of the way, I want to talk about tips if you’re trying to figure out what cartilage piercing jewelry size you need.
Start with Affordable Jewelry
First of all, don’t get really expensive jewelry right away if you don’t know your cartilage piercing jewelry size. You don’t want to buy a hundred-dollar earring made with real diamond or diamond cartilage earrings and then find out that it doesn’t fit.
You can’t return piercing jewelry because it’s not sanitary; they can’t reuse it. So it’s wasteful. That being said, start by experimenting with cheaper jewelry.
The ones that I have are pretty affordable, so I would suggest those as your first cartilage earrings for sensitive ears.
Learn from Others
Watch videos or check comments to see what cartilage piercing jewelry size others use for similar piercings. The sizes that I mentioned here are pretty average for cute cartilage piercing jewelry. Use those as a baseline.
You probably can’t go wrong with an 18-gauge or a 20-gauge piece if you want something thin.
A 22-gauge also works, but the risk is your piercing tightens and fewer brands make 22-gauge jewelry, so you might have trouble finding pieces that fit if your piercing gets smaller.
Ask Your Piercer
My next tip is to ask your piercer what cartilage piercing jewelry size they pierced you with, and that’s a good place to start.
Usually, as I said before, they’ll pierce you with a thicker earring, so you can go thinner later. A thinner piercing will fit into a bigger hole. You can later move to thinner jewelry like titanium or cartilage earrings gold.
Measure Existing Jewelry
You can also try measuring your cartilage piercing jewelry size. You’ll probably want someone else’s help. Get a tiny measuring tape and use millimeters to approximate your cartilage piercing jewelry size.
If you have an old stud, you can put the stud in, draw on the post where it comes out in the back with a fine marker, pull it out, then measure from the base to the mark and see how many millimeters that is.
Millimeters are tiny, so it’s not perfectly accurate, but it gives a good baseline.
Experiment Safely
Order a few nearby sizes (e.g., 6 mm and 7 mm bars or 18 and 20 gauge). Anatomy varies, so test what cartilage piercing jewelry size feels most comfortable.
When to Switch Out Your Cartilage Piercing Jewelry
Before wrapping up, I have additional tips if you just got your ears pierced.
Wait Until Healed
First of all, don’t switch out your piercings until they’re healed—whenever your piercer told you. Usually, it’s about a year. I know it’s a long wait.
Exception: If Jewelry Is Causing Problems
If your jewelry is really bothering you, then I think it’s fine to switch it out.
When I got my two helixes pierced, the piercer put in really strong butterfly-back earrings. They were the kind that aren’t going to fall out, but the butterfly back got caught on everything. As soon as my piercing started to heal, it would get caught on something and hurt a lot, and it would open up the wound again.
I got tired of waiting because it felt like no progress was being made, and I switched them to small infinite hoops. A lot of people say not to put in hoops, but these were much thinner than the hole that the piercer made, and they ended up healing much quicker. They stopped snagging because they lay flat against my ear.
My Conch Piercing Experience
As for my conch piercing, the piercer pierced me with a hoop, and that got snagged a lot. I eventually switched it to a stud with a flat back, and that stopped snagging and helped it heal faster.
So while many people say not to switch out your piercings, I think that’s generally true, but it depends.
If they’re bothering you and you know that’s the cause, then switch them carefully. Don’t play with them or switch them a ton until they’re healed. After they’re healed, you can play around and have fun with styles like white gold cartilage earrings, real gold cartilage earrings, or cartilage earrings cuff styles.
Quick Size Recap by Piercing
| Piercing | Gauge | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Helix | 18g | 6 mm bar, 1.5 mm stone | Could size down slightly |
| Conch | 20g | 10 mm hoop / 6 mm stud | Hoops can feel snug |
| Helix | 20g | 7 mm hoop / 6–8 mm range | 6 mm hugs ear; 7–8 mm looser fit |
Material & Care Tips
If your ears are sensitive or you want long-lasting shine, consider titanium cartilage earrings, 14k gold cartilage earrings, or cartilage earrings sterling silver.
White gold cartilage earrings and real gold cartilage earrings resist tarnish better than many budget alloys.
For stacking without new piercings, cartilage cuff earrings are great accents. Clean your jewelry regularly and avoid gaps or rough edges on hoops while healing.
Final Thoughts
Finding your perfect cartilage piercing jewelry size takes patience and experimentation. Once you know your sizes, build a small collection: a comfortable everyday stud, a few cartilage earrings hoops, and one or two accent pieces like white gold cartilage earrings or real gold cartilage earrings.
Comfort and quality matter most — and with the right materials, your piercings will look beautiful for years.