Custom earrings
Earrings are the one jewelry category where material choice is a regulatory decision before it is an aesthetic one. Anything that passes through a pierced ear is held to the strictest nickel-release limit in the EU, and the wrong alloy makes a batch unsellable.
- MOQ
- 500 pcs per style, per plating colour
- Sampling
- 10 days from approved 3D file
- Bulk production
- 25 days after sample approval
- Tooling
- Quoted as a separate one-off line — see cost breakdown
Styles we produce
Earrings are the one jewelry category where material choice is a regulatory decision before it is an aesthetic one. Each style below is produced from the buyer's own design or developed from a reference under ODM.
01Studs 
02Hoops 
03Huggies 
04Drops 
05Dangles 
06Chandeliers 
07Halo studs 
08Ear climbers 
09Ear cuffs 
10Threaders 
11Jackets 
12Clip-ons
Swipe · 12 styles
Material options
Ranked by how well each metal suits this category specifically, not by price. Follow any row through to the full property table for that alloy.
| Material | Why it suits this category |
|---|---|
| Titanium | Nickel-free by composition — the default specification for posts |
| 316L stainless steel | Passes EN 1811 despite containing nickel; strong at post diameters |
| 925 silver | Nickel-free at 925 fineness — but check the plating barrier |
| Brass | Bodies only, never posts, and only with a nickel-free barrier layer |
Process options
The forming and finishing routes that apply to this shape, with what each contributes. Tolerances and tooling costs are on the individual process pages.
| Process | What it contributes |
|---|---|
| Stamping | Flat studs, hoops and blanks |
| Lost-wax casting | Sculptural drops and charms |
| Laser welding | Post-to-body joints without solder |
| Stone setting | CZ and moissanite in stud settings |
Sizing and specification
These are the dimensions a quotation needs. Sending them with the first enquiry is the difference between a one-day quote and a two-week conversation.
| Post diameter | 0.7–1.0 mm (standard 0.8 mm) |
|---|---|
| Post length | 9–11 mm |
| Stud face | 3–12 mm |
| Hoop diameter | 8–70 mm |
| Butterfly back | 5–6 mm |
Customisation
- Nickel-free barrier plating specified in writing
- Silicone comfort backs
- Single-earring or mismatched-pair sets
- Screw backs for higher-value pieces
- Hypoallergenic post with plated decorative body
Order terms
The same terms apply across every category. Tooling is always quoted as its own one-off line and is never amortised into the unit price.
| MOQ | 500 pcs per style, per plating colour |
|---|---|
| Sampling | 10 days from approved 3D file |
| Bulk production | 25 days after sample approval |
| Tooling | Quoted as a separate one-off line — see cost breakdown |
Compliance for this category
Different product shapes are held to different limits. This is the one that applies here.
Testing is arranged on request against whichever standards the destination market requires. Which tests apply, what they cost and how long they take is confirmed in writing in the quotation — see EN 1811 nickel releaseand Prop 65.
What to watch out for
Custom earrings — buyer questions
Each answer stands alone and can be read without the rest of this page.
What is the minimum order quantity for custom earrings?
500 pieces per style, per plating colour. The per-colour part matters: each finish is a separate production batch with its own setup, so three colours of one design is three batches of 500, not one. Sampling takes about 10 days and bulk production about 25 days after sample approval.
Which metal is best for earrings?
Titanium is the usual first choice — nickel-free by composition — the default specification for posts. 316L stainless steel is the alternative where passes en 1811 despite containing nickel; strong at post diameters. The decision is rarely about appearance, because plating can make most metals look alike; it is about how the piece behaves after six months of wear.
What compliance standard applies to earrings?
Pierced-ear jewelry is limited to 0.2 µg/cm²/week of nickel release under REACH Annex XVII entry 27 — two and a half times stricter than the 0.5 µg/cm²/week limit for ordinary prolonged skin contact. Titanium passes by composition and 316L passes because its nickel is locked in an austenitic matrix. Brass and zinc alloy pass only where the plating uses a nickel-free barrier layer, and that must be specified, because the default barrier is nickel.
What sizing information do you need to quote earrings?
post diameter (0.7–1.0 mm (standard 0.8 mm)), post length (9–11 mm), stud face (3–12 mm) and the finish. Sending these with the first enquiry is what turns a two-week back-and-forth into a one-day quotation, because each of them changes either the tooling or the unit price.
Can you produce earrings from my own design files?
Yes — that is the normal route. Send CAD (.stl, .3dm, .step) or a dimensioned sketch and an engineer reviews it for manufacturability before quoting, flagging anything that will not produce as drawn. The buyer owns the design and the tooling, and an NDA is signed before files are received.
What is the most common mistake buyers make ordering earrings?
Assuming the post inherits the body's material. On many designs the decorative body is plated brass and the post is a separate component — and the post is the part that goes through the piercing. Specify the post material and the barrier plating separately from the body.
Not answered here? All buyer questions →
On the floor
The departments this category runs through · named from the factory's own signage · see all twelve
Quote a earrings run
Send the design, the material and the quantity. You get an itemised unit price, the tooling cost as its own line, and the compliance route for your market. Production runs on our own floor in Qingxi, Dongguan, Guangdong.
- 01Reply within one working day, Guangdong business hours.
- 02Itemised cost sheet — mold quoted separately, not folded into the unit price.
- 03NDA on request before any file is shared.