Gold Hoop Earrings: Sizes, Thickness and How to Choose

Gold hoops come in many sizes and thicknesses, and the title of a listing rarely says which one you are getting. This guide explains how hoop sizes work, what thin and chunky mean, what "gold" can mean in a listing and how to wear them.

What does "gold hoop earrings" mean in a listing?

It can mean solid gold, gold filled, gold plated or just gold-colored. Ours are gold-tone or gold-plated, not solid gold, and each page says which when we know it. The Gold Crystal Hoops are listed as gold-tone metal. The C-Shaped Hoop Earrings are gold-plated and silver-plated. The Moon Star Mini Hoops are S925 silver in a gold color. If you want to know how plated, filled and vermeil differ, read gold plated vs gold filled vs vermeil.

How hoop earring sizes work

Hoop size is the diameter, usually in millimeters, measured across the outside of the hoop. As a general guide:

• Up to about 15 mm: small hoops that sit close to the lobe, often called huggies.
• About 20 to 30 mm: medium hoops that hang a little below the lobe.
• About 40 mm and up: large hoops that show clearly next to your jaw and hair.

Those ranges are a general convention, not a measurement of our pieces. We list a size on some pages: the C-Shaped Hoop Earrings have a design size of 1.5 inches (about 38 mm). When a page doesn't list a size, check the photos, which show the shape next to the ear.

Thin or chunky?

• Thin: the Gold Hoops are long, slim hoops in a rose-gold tone with a nail-shaped detail and a few tiny clear stones on the closure.
• Chunky: the F Gold Hoops are thick, tubular and gold-tone, with a line of stones along the edge and a post back. The Starburst Mini Hoops are chunky and sit close to the lobe, with star, moon and clear-stone details.
• Layered: the DY Gold Hoops combine a smooth loop, a twisted rope loop and a slim stone-set loop in one earring, with a hinged closure.

Thicker hoops make a bolder shape. Thinner ones disappear into an everyday look. For more in the thick range, see our chunky earrings.

How to wear gold hoops

• Large and medium hoops show best with your hair up or tucked back.
• Small hoops pair with a stud in the next hole. We explain the difference between small hoops and larger ones in huggie vs hoop earrings, and you can see the range in our huggie earrings.
• If you wear gold and silver, a mixed pair like the C-Shaped Hoop Earrings, gold-tone outside and silver-tone inside, goes with both.
• Keep the rest simple. A bold hoop is the focus, so a thin chain or no necklace works best.

Closures

Hoops close in different ways: a post back, a hinged closure or a post with a butterfly back. The page names the closure when we know it, for example the post back on the F Gold Hoops and the hinged closure on the DY Gold Hoops. If you need a particular closure and the page doesn't say, ask us.

Caring for gold hoops

Take them off before showering or swimming, keep them away from perfume and lotions, and wipe them with a soft cloth. Store each pair on its own. More in our care guide.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know what size hoop earrings to get?

Think about where you want them to sit. Small hoops stay at the lobe, medium ones hang a little below it and large ones frame your jaw. Use the sizes on the page and the photos to compare.

Are gold hoops good for every day?

Small and slim ones tend to be the easiest to wear all day. Bigger or chunkier ones are noticeable, so they work well when you want the earrings to stand out.

See all our earrings.