Mommies Wear Stud Earrings

Mother’s Day is coming up, and just recently I’ve been spending time with some Miami friends who have recently become mothers. It’s pretty fascinating to watch these women who I’ve known as friends, as co workers, as mentors, evolve and blossom into mothers. So many things about them soften and glow. So many things change, out of sheer necessity. Take fashion, for example. During a recent lovely luncheon, a new mom friend of mine admired my fancy, dangly earrings. I enthusiastically started to tell her where I got them when she stopped me with this gem of a revelation.

“Oh honey, mommies don’t wear dangly earrings. Mommies wear studs.”

See — that’s something that never occurred to me! Babies love to grasp and pull things as they discover what their hands can do, and what’s one of the first things they want to yank? Your pretty, sparkly earrings right out of your ears. YIKES. My friend added that hoops are the worst – easy for babies to grab and pull.

So what’s the solution if you still want to accessorize? Studs — the classic, understated yeomans of the earring world. Because they fasten on tight to your earlobe, a baby’s hands aren’t as likely to grab them so easily.

Online, you can find everything from expensive diamond studs (ooh, chocolate diamonds! Gorgeous) to handmade steampunk studs for bellas with edge. Studs don’t have to be your plain ol’ everyday earrings. In honor of my mommy bellas at home and around the world, I’d like to show you how pretty studs can be.

If you’re looking for super feminine, dainty updated classics, check out Andrea Lucille Designs. Each of their three collections features some really chic studs. I like these sterling silver swirls for $95, and I’d definitely wear these half shell studs for $85. But I LOVE the sterling silver calla lily studs you see up above — $145 and those would be so pretty for a wedding. Love.

Being a Trini to the bone, I always strive to promote my culture — that’s why I plan to invest in some Liz Manette jewelry. The designer is descended from steel pan royalty, and her jewelry celebrates the beauty of Trinidad’s indigenous instrument, the steel pan. The bass pan studs are available online for $90, but I’m holding out for tenor pan studs. Those would be adorable!

I gotta give a shout out to the brilliant jeweler who designed my wedding ring, my aunt-in-law Patti Conlin. Check out her website, The Goldsmith and these stunning white gold Tahitian pearl studs. You can contact her for prices and for custom work. She’s brilliant, and I get so many compliments on my wedding ring, I can’t even tell you. Can’t endorse her enough.

You know me — next stop Etsy! Enter the adorable world of Joanne Rutter. Her stud earrings are exceptionally cute. The very tiny chick earrings are a cute gift for Twitter addicted bellas like me — $38. The fern studs are understated and pretty, with a touch of whimsy.

And as usual Etsy’s the treasure trove of everything you can imagine and more. For cheap chic, check out these paisley teardrop shaped studs for $12 from Everyday Glory, purveyor of even more chic earrings!

Are studs your style, bellas? Or do you prefer dangling chandeliers?