18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Why more women are buying into the single earring trend, a style driven by George Michael and Michael Jordan in the 80s and 90s, and Harry Styles and Paul Mescal today
It started with a single Sophie Bille Brahe earring. The Danish designer is known for her supercool clusters and orbs of freshwater pearls in striking shapes and blooms of diamonds. Mostly, they're sold as singular pieces. The acquisition of one such piece completely changed not only how I thought about
pearls , but also made me realise that you really don't need to wear a pair of earrings. In fact, it's rather more fun when you don't.
Danish designer Sophie Bille Brahe's Croissant de Lune is sold as a singular piece. Photo: Handout
Sophie Bille Brahe always intended it to be like this. And she thinks women more than ever want to wear jewellery this way.
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'The first piece of jewellery that I created that was very successful was the Croissant De Lune. It is a single earring that consists of a row graduating diamonds delicately emphasising the line of the ear, and it continues to be one of our most in-demand styles,' she says.
English singer-songwriter George Michael (1963-2016), ex-singer with pop group Wham!, was a poster boy for the men's single earring trend.
'Women today want to be presented with new ways of wearing fine jewellery, and it is always one of my biggest challenges to keep developing my designs to produce shapes and styles that women want to wear.'
It's not only women getting into the trend either. Beyond the classic single diamond stud of the 80s and 90s and the great work done for little dangly solo earrings by Michael Jordan and George Michael, Harry Styles has long been partial to a single pearl drop earring (who can forget that Met Gala moment in 2019?). Meanwhile
Paul Mescal – no stranger to jewellery (remember his viral silver chain from Normal People?) – often sports a single sleeper hoop.
Sydney jeweller Olivia Bond has seen interest grow in single earrings. Photo: Handout
It's something Sydney-based jeweller and gemologist Olivia Bond has observed in her clients too.
'We have noticed growth in interest and sales of single earrings, and a general trend towards asymmetry when it comes to earrings and piercings,' she says. 'Many of our clients, from students to school mums, have different numbers and locations of piercings in each ear, so they like the flexibility to buy singles to complement that.'
Bond has also noticed more demand for a single statement earring such as a one-of-a-kind tourmaline drop set in her signature twist motif she recently created.
