Why I Don’t Model Most of My Earrings

You may have noticed something in my recent earring listings:
instead of seeing them modeled on a live person, you’re seeing them displayed on a pair of silicone ears.

Yes — slightly funny, slightly disembodied ears.

There’s a reason for that.

I completely understand why people like to see earrings modeled. It helps with scale, and it makes it easier to imagine how they’ll look when worn. I appreciate that perspective too when I shop.

But because most of my earrings are one of a kind, I choose not to try them on myself or have someone else model them before selling them.

It comes down to sanitation.

Before I made jewelry full-time, I worked in cosmetology. Proper sanitation and disinfection are foundational in that field. If something is used on one person, it doesn’t get used on another without being thoroughly disinfected — no exceptions. That standard has stayed with me.

An earring passes through your ear. Even with a healed piercing, there can be micro tears or biological residue that isn’t visible. If an earring is worn and I can’t properly disinfect it, I can’t sell it to someone else.

I know many people don’t think that far about trying on earrings, or consider it low risk. But I do — and it matters to me. I wouldn’t want to buy a pair of worn earrings, so I won’t sell them that way either.

This is especially important because many of my pieces include natural stones that can’t be safely or thoroughly sanitized without risking damage. This mainly applies to post earrings, or designs where the ear wires can’t be removed and replaced with a fresh pair.

Metal-only, made-to-order pieces are different. If you ever see earrings modeled on a live person, it’s because the pair shown is a sample — not the exact pair you’ll receive.

But for one-of-a-kind gemstone earrings, I don’t sell pieces that have been worn for photos. That’s simply a standard I hold for my work.

The silicone ears might look a little amusing, but they allow me to show scale and fit in a way that stays completely sanitary. It’s a small detail, but it matters.

As with many parts of this business, it comes back to care — care in the making, care in the details, and care in what leaves my studio and goes to you.

That same standard is also why certain earrings aren’t eligible for return if they can’t be properly sanitized or have their ear wires changed. If I wouldn’t sell you a pair that’s been worn for photos, I also won’t resell a pair that’s been worn and returned.

It’s simply about holding that standard all the way through.