SearchWhich ear should a man wear an earring in?
From the counter at TraxNYC, 47th Street.
The short answer
- Either ear, or both. There is no rule today. Men wear one earring in the left ear, one in the right, or a pair, and all three are normal.
- The old myth: you may have heard that an earring in one ear, usually the right, once said a man was gay. It is a myth: there was never one rule everyone followed, and today which ear you pick says nothing about who you are.
- How to pick a side: the side people see most, and not the side you sleep on or hold your phone to.
- One stud or a pair: a pair's listing usually gives the carats for both ears, so 1 ctw is half a carat in each.
Choosing a size? Text us or call 212-872-9692. Our team texts back 10 AM to 10 PM ET; later texts are answered the next day.
Men's Single Earrings
All men's single earrings
Left ear, right ear, or both: there is no rule
Men have worn earrings for thousands of years, and no rule about sides has lasted. Pick the look you like.
All of these are common: one stud in either ear, a matched pair, or a stud in one ear and a hoop in the other. None of them carries a fixed meaning.
How to choose a side
- The side people see. If your haircut or the way you part your hair shows one ear more, the earring shows best there.
- Not the side you sleep on. A new piercing heals easier on the ear that does not meet the pillow.
- Not your phone side. A stud gets knocked by a phone held to it all day; the other ear is easier.
- The side you give the camera. Most of us turn one cheek to a photo. Put the earring there.
- Both. A pair balances the face, and it is the easy answer when you cannot decide.
One stud or a pair?
A single stud is a look of its own, and we list singles on their own page: men's single earrings. Most of the men's earrings we list come as a pair; the classic pair is at men's diamond stud earrings.
Read the carats before you choose. A pair's listing usually gives the total for both ears, written ctw, so a 1 ctw pair is half a carat in each ear.
By IGI's size chart for round diamonds, a quarter carat is about 4.1 mm across, half a carat about 5.2 mm and one carat about 6.5 mm. Our diamond stud earrings guide shows how each size looks on the ear.
Studs, clusters and the rest
A diamond stud is the classic first earring: one stone, close to the lobe. A cluster spreads many small diamonds wider than one stone of the same weight, so it reads bigger for its carats; ours are at men's cluster earrings.
For shapes and bolder pieces, see men's hip hop earrings, and for everything in one place, men's earrings.
Every type of earring you can imagine, in sixteen seconds. 580,000 views on YouTube, read September 26, 2026.
The metal and the backs
Most of the men's earrings we list are 14K gold. If your ears react, the alloy is usually the cause, not the gold; nickel is the usual culprit. A higher karat holds less alloy, which is a tendency and not a promise, and a reaction that lasts is a question for a doctor, not a jeweler.
A few of our stud listings name screw backs; most do not say. Ask the desk which back a pair comes with before you buy. With a new piercing, ask your piercer when you can change earrings.
From the counter
“Buy jewelry you fall in love with: something that makes you happy every time you put it on, a reward for your hard work. And it has to be right, and it has to fit right. Otherwise there is no point.”
Text us or call
Between two sizes? Ask to see both.
Every stone is shown in person or on video before you decide.
Questions we hear at the counter
Which ear should a guy get pierced?
Either one, or both. Pick the side people see most, and if you can, not the side you sleep on while it heals.
What does an earring in the right ear mean on a man?
Nothing fixed. The same goes for the left ear. The side is a matter of taste, and a pair is just as common.
Should a man wear one earring or two?
Either. One stud reads as a single point of light; a pair balances the face. You can start with one and add the second later.
What size diamond stud should a man wear?
For every day, a size you forget you have on: a quarter carat in each ear is about 4.1 mm, half a carat about 5.2 mm. One carat in each ear, about 6.5 mm, shows in conversation.
Can I buy a single earring?
Yes. Our single studs and single earrings have their own page, men's single earrings.
Keep reading
More answers from the counter: all TraxNYC buyer's guides.
Try them on at the counter
64 W 47th St, Booth F-1, New York, NY 10036, on 47th Street since 2004. Monday to Friday 11 am to 6 pm ET, Saturday and Sunday 12 pm to 4 pm ET; around a holiday, text first.
Call or text 212-872-9692, or read our showroom page first.