• FASHION • ACCESSORIES
Studs Earrings Review: The Claire’s of Generation Z

Reviewed by Maggie Gibson
Last Updated January 2022

- Featured Product
- Ratings Breakdown
- Who Is Studs?
- Performance & Testing
- Quality Assessment
- Value Assessment
- All Studs Products
- Care & Maintenance
- Studs Apprenticeship Program
- Final Thoughts
- FAQs
A replacement of the mall piercing shop, Studs brings a new experience for the next generation of teenagers and young adults looking to decorate their ears. Studs offers stress-free Earscapes to their customers with professional needle piercing and quality earrings.
Studs was founded by Anna Harmand and Lisa Bubbers after they saw a gap between piercing shops and tattoo parlors where the jewelry was either cheaply made, limited in options, or both. Studs’ brand thrives on a fun experience with over 200 pieces that last, and can be mixed and matched or curated for you.
What sets Studs apart from other brands?
Let’s find out.
FEATURED IN THIS REVIEW

STUDS
Gold Best Seller Set
$126 $98
Shop Now at Studs★ 4.7 Stars
Our Rating
★ 5 Stars
Avg. Customer Rating
The Gold Best Seller Set features a combination of Studs’ most popular pieces including a pair of Micro Chunky Huggies, the Pave Evil Eye Stud, the Mini Star Stud, the Lightning Stud, and the Serpent Stud.
A modern take on the classic mall staple from the 90’s and 2000’s, Studs offers an experience that will keep you wanting to come back for more. Expressing your individuality is important and Studs knows this, which is why they are committed to creating pieces for A Hole New You.
Because piercings are such a unique form of self-expression, there is no right way to wear them–if you want the Huggies next to each other and the Evil Eye and Serpent on another ear you can do that. Your ears are your canvas, and Studs provides the accessories to make them pop.
The earrings have an exterior of 14K gold or rhodium plated with internal sterling silver or brass, making them great for sensitive ears. The Huggies have a hinge closure while the studs have a butterfly back, making them easy to use.
The Huggies are essentially small chunky earrings that hug on your earlobes, while the studs are tiny statement pieces bedazzled with pearls, opals, or Cubic Zirconia. Each piece of jewelry brings out different aspects of your personality and can be mixed and matched to your liking.
While Studs earrings are a great option for those with allergies or sensitive skin, everyone is different, so be sure to go with what works best for you.
Pros
- Beautiful, well made designs
- Safe for sensitive ears
- Quality materials are durable even when wet
- Comfortable, everyday pieces
Cons
- Best to buy your Studs in sets – individually, some small pieces are on the pricier side
- Backings can be difficult to get on
Ratings Breakdown
QUALITY
★★★★★
All of the studs and huggies looked and felt like new even after wearing them constantly and sweating in them. I have sensitive ears due to a nickel allergy so this was key for me.
VALUE
★★★★
You have the option to buy each earring individually, as a set, or to mix and match – which is a cool feature that ultimately saves you money when purchasing sets – and is worth it, considering the quality materials and style.
CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE
★★★★★
The beautiful little studs are fun accessories, and worked as expected. They stayed put all day, but I had a little bit of difficulty attaching the backers because they were so small and tight.
BRAND
★★★★★
Studs is a young and growing brand that loves creating funky and unique pieces. Their website doesn’t offer much information when it comes to their backstory, which could be because their focus is strictly on the products and experience.
Who Is Studs?
Studs was founded in 2019 by Anna Harman and Lisa Bubbers. It’s headquartered in New York City, and has other brick and mortar locations including Los Angeles, Miami, and Austin. They wanted to branch out from the antiquated ear piercing experience at a mall with a piercing gun or needles at a tattoo parlor with limited options.

They saw a blank space in the market and capitalized on it, thus Studs was born. With their wide selection, professional piercers and Apprenticeship Program, Studs brings modern touches to the piercing experience.
Surprisingly, Studs keep a pretty low profile online. Their Instagram has a big following and has received the stamp of approval from celebrities like Kaia Gerber. In an interesting move, Studs has no “About” or “Learn More” page on their website, making it a bit of a mission to dive into the history of the company. This could be because they are straightforward as a brand, preferring to focus on what they do rather than who they are.
STUDS
Gold Best Seller Set
$98
All of Studs gold favorites, packaged together just for you. This collection includes:
1 x Pair Of Mini Pavé Huggie
1 x Serpent Stud
1 x Pavé Evil Eye Stud
1 x Lightning Stud
1 x Mini Star Stud
Studs Earrings Testing & Performance

I love jewelry, but I’m allergic to nickel. Basically, I’m allergic to cheap jewelry so a lot of the time I’ll have to decide if I want to look cute and suffer later, or skip my hoop earrings entirely.

Even jewelry that’s sold as nickel free can have backers, finders (the stem that goes through your ear), or clasps with nickel. It’s everywhere–in the buttons of pants, bra hooks, watches, rings–so you can imagine my frustration when I try to shop for jewelry.
Thankfully, everything in the Gold Best Seller Set felt great and didn’t bother me at all. Whenever I sweat, the sodium reacts negatively with the nickel which is what causes the allergic reaction. Even when I had them in and worked out, my ears didn’t itch. This alone was enough to sell me on the products.

There are several factors that led to my positive experience with the Gold Best Seller Set including:
- Beautiful pieces
- How easy it was to mix and match according to my mood
- The high quality, nickel free materials that didn’t irritate my sensitive ears
STUDS
Gold Best Seller Set
$98
All of Studs gold favorites, packaged together just for you. This collection includes:
1 x Pair Of Mini Pavé Huggie
1 x Serpent Stud
1 x Pavé Evil Eye Stud
1 x Lightning Stud
1 x Mini Star Stud
Are Studs Earrings Good Quality?
One of the main draws to Studs is the quality of the jewelry. An easy way to find out whether your jewelry will last or not is observing how it reacts to being worn constantly, including exposure to sweat and water.

I’m an athlete and a regular at the gym, and don’t like to remove small earrings before working out because I don’t want to lose them. Because of my nickel allergy most earrings itch sometime during my workout, but I forgot my Studs were there. The backers are strong enough to keep them in place and my skin didn’t break out.
Studs’ pieces are made out of external 14k or rhodium plated with internal sterling silver, or external 18K rhodium plated with internal brass, making them perfect for everyone. They’re easy to take care of as well, which can sometimes be a pain with jewelry.
Are Studs Earrings Worth It?
As a whole, Studs’ jewelry is a good value. Shopping for studs and Huggies a la carte can get pricey, but one of the great things about Studs is that if you don’t like one of their pre-curated sets, you can mix and match whatever you want yourself.



Their main demographic is individuals with multiple piercings, so if you’re a fan from your first purchase then there’s a good chance you’ll come back for more. Studs promotes individuality, and with their hundreds of options you have endless opportunities to decorate your ears.
Considering that they don’t rust or itch, adding more pieces to your Studs collection is easy. Generally, if you have multiple piercings you know how much additional jewelry will cost. Small studs are harder to find, particularly ones that are made well and don’t tarnish or break. Studs delivers value with each piece, and wants you to express yourself however you want.
STUDS
Gold Best Seller Set
$98
All of Studs gold favorites, packaged together just for you. This collection includes:
1 x Pair Of Mini Pavé Huggie
1 x Serpent Stud
1 x Pavé Evil Eye Stud
1 x Lightning Stud
1 x Mini Star Stud
Studs Products
Studs creates jewelry that is fun, dainty, and just vibrant enough to make you stand out. It’s a young brand that devotes itself to the young crowd: Gen Z and Millennials love them. With their wide line of products, it’s hard to get tired of the combinations you can create.

Their website has several categories for their jewelry, and is easy to navigate:
- Earrings
- Collections
- Earscape Sets
- Sale
How Do You Care for Studs Products?
Caring for your Studs is pretty easy! You can keep them in day or night but it’s best to let them breathe and take the night off. Store them in a cool, dry place either in a jewelry box or in the baggies that come with your purchase. The worst place to keep them is in a humid place, like your bathroom.

To clean them, use mild soap and non-abrasive polishing cloths to keep your jewelry looking like new. Although you can use them while swimming, it’s best to keep them away from sweat, hair products, sunscreen, perfume, and lotions. These can lead to tarnishing quicker than expected, but with proper care your Studs will last.
STUDS
Gold Best Seller Set
$98
All of Studs gold favorites, packaged together just for you. This collection includes:
1 x Pair Of Mini Pavé Huggie
1 x Serpent Stud
1 x Pavé Evil Eye Stud
1 x Lightning Stud
1 x Mini Star Stud
Studs Apprenticeship Program
Interested in becoming a Stud yourself? Studs offers their own Apprenticeship Program with educational training to future Studs piercers. It’s a great program featuring hands-on training, classroom style learning and observation all under the instruction and supervision of a qualified piercing educator.

Apprentices learn several skills they will need once they are a full blown piercer, including sterilization, bedside manner, piercing techniques, and more. They are trained and certified by the Red Cross and are required to pass a Bloodborne Pathogens course.
While in training, apprentices do take on appointments. These appointments are free and last about twenty minutes. An experienced piercing operations educator will be there to supervise, and the appointment also includes 20% off piercing earrings–excluding the 14K and 18K styles. This results in an average savings of $60 off your total piercing price.
Final Thoughts: Studs Earrings
Studs is the new kid on the block in the jewelry business, and they are here to stay. With their dainty yet vibrant pieces of jewelry, there’s something for every stud aficionado that is looking for another piece to add to their collection.

STUDS
Gold Best Seller Set
$98
All of Studs gold favorites, packaged together just for you. This collection includes:
1 x Pair Of Mini Pavé Huggie
1 x Serpent Stud
1 x Pavé Evil Eye Stud
1 x Lightning Stud
1 x Mini Star Stud
FAQs
Generally, Studs offers full refunds or exchanges within 21 days of purchase. For the 2021 holiday season however they are extending their return policy to January 21, 2022 for purchases made between November 1, 2021 to December 21, 2021.
All returns have to be unworn, in its original condition and all original packaging with no signs of wear or damage. Piercing jewelry, final sale items, and free gifts are excluded from return eligibility.
You can visit one of the retail stores, fill out a return form, or email them at heystud@studs.com.
The length of time it will take for your piercing to heal can vary from person to person, depending on your overall health, stress and sleep levels, and your aftercare plan.
Ear lobe piercings usually take about two months to heal, and upper or inner ear piercings take between six to twelve months to heal completely. Once the discharge, redness, swelling, and soreness stop you’ll know your piercing is healed. Studs also has a list of healing times for several piercings.
While you can get your jewelry wet, it’s not indestructible. If it comes into frequent contact with water, body oil, and chemicals from your skincare and beauty products then it will shorten its lifespan. It’s impossible to keep them away from these elements but since caring for your Studs is easy, it shouldn’t be difficult to keep them in great shape.