Size across first, then plain gold or diamonds, the grams, the gold color and the closure
Start with the size, measured across in millimeters. A 15 mm hoop rests snug on the lobe, and the plain pair at that size sold more than any other in the year. Go wider to frame your face. Plain 14K gold took most of the pairs sold, and small diamond hoops sit close and catch light. Between two hoops of one size, take the heavier, since a thicker tube holds its circle.
Hoop size: hoop earring sizes in millimeters, from huggies to 70 mm
Measure across the hoop first. A hoop of 15 mm or less rests against the lobe all day. Between 20 and 30 mm it swings a little and frames the jaw. From 40 mm up, the hoop is what people see first. If you own hoops you like, put a ruler across them and shop to that number. Pairs from 15 to 20 mm sold best in the year.
Plain gold hoops: 14K gold hoop earrings and the grams to read
Choose plain gold for the pair you never take out. Every plain hoop is 14K yellow gold, save one two-tone pair, and plain gold took about six of every ten pairs sold. The 15 mm hoop led the year, yet the plain hoops of 25 mm and up, taken together, sold just as many.
Then read the grams. At one width, the heavier pair has the thicker tube, which shrugs off a squeeze.
Diamond hoops: natural or lab-grown diamond hoop earrings and carats
Each diamond hoop names its stones as natural or lab-grown. Natural sits on two thirds of them. Lab-grown is diamond, grown above ground, and the lab pairs tend to carry more carats. A hoop's carat weight adds up every small stone along it, so ask whether it counts one earring or both. Nearly all print a color and clarity grade, mostly F to H and VS to SI. The two diamond pairs bought most in the year both measure 13 mm.
Styles: huggie, double row, oval and drop hoop earrings
A huggie is a short, thick hoop that wraps the lobe with almost no gap. Ours run 13 to 15 mm, all with natural diamonds. A double row sets two lines of stones on one small hoop, and a channel hoop holds its diamonds between smooth gold walls. The drop hoops hang a pear or emerald drop below a small hoop, set with lab-grown diamonds. One 18K pair is oval rather than round. For color, one wide pair sets emeralds beside natural diamonds.
Gold color and closing: white, yellow or rose gold hoops, and returns
Take 14K for daily hoops, since the harder gold keeps the round true and the hinge snapping shut. Nearly every pair sold was 14K, and the 18K pairs are all diamond hoops. White gold is offered on nearly three diamond hoops in four, rose on about half. Most hoops shut with a hinged post that clicks into a notch, and some feed a thin wire into the far end. Few listings say which, so ask before you pay.
Unworn, unaltered hoops can come back for fourteen calendar days after they arrive. Message customer service first at service@traxnyc.com or 212-391-3832, and it sends the store's return label. We keep five percent for restocking and take the return shipping from the refund, and pairs made or altered for one person stay final. Ask the live chat about anything else, or call or text 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET.