Heart earrings: A Motif With Several Lives

In England in 1985, jeweler Kiki McDonough designed earrings built around faceted rock crystal hearts, pinned beneath gold bows set with three brilliant-cut diamonds. The V&A catalogs the pair as made in England that year. Heart earrings can look simple from a distance, but this is a shape built out of small, precise decisions.

 

The motif long predates this pair. Country Life traces the earliest known heart jewelry to late medieval rings and brooches, often inscribed with short love poems. By the 16th century, gem-set heart tokens expressed affection or commitment. Later, in 17th-century Scotland, a twisted Luckenbooth could be carried as an amulet, and by the 18th century its symbolism had shifted toward being bewitched by love. A heart has never belonged to just one mood, which is part of its appeal.

 

This first group keeps the motif close to the lobe. Mejuri’s Mini Heart Studs are petite solid 10k yellow gold; Astrid & Miyu’s plated recycled sterling silver hearts are 3.8 mm across. Ana Luisa’s Lev Studs come in mini and medium sizes, while Bony Levy’s 14k pair uses radiating ridges for texture. Brilliant Earth’s engraved hearts have bright-cut borders and push backs; Kendra Scott’s Ari adds a pale drusy center. MADE BY MARY’s smooth studs use screw-on flat backs, and Oradina leaves the gold heart open. I would choose one scale first, then check the closure and dimensions alongside the earrings already in rotation. A small heart can be graphic without taking over the conversation.

Hinged backs make these easier to choose by outline than drop length, so I would first check how the hinge sits against the lobe. Gorjana’s Amour Heart Huggies keep a polished heart close; Ana Luisa’s Jessica puffs the shape into a rounded hoop drop. Jenny Bird’s Padlock Heart Huggies frame the center, Kendra Scott’s rose quartz Ari hangs a stone beneath its hinge, and Kate Spade’s snap-post pair keeps the silhouette compact. BaubleBar adds cubic zirconia, Monica Vinader lets its vermeil heart fall three-quarters of an inch, while Astrid & Miyu repeats tiny recycled-gold hearts around the huggie.

 

A V&A-catalogued Moroccan ornament from 1840 to 1860 offers a different precedent: a chain linked an open hoop to a glass-set heart, which hooked onto a headdress while the hoop hung near ear level.

 

I like that idea of an earring’s outline going somewhere beyond the lobe, but I would keep modern styling simple: a close huggie with a bare neckline, or one swinging heart with a plain chain. What I would skip: a long drop on a day when a scarf or high collar is part of the outfit. Check the hinge and closure details before settling on a pair.

The stone setting changes the whole register: the 16th-century heart tokens described in the history were gem-encrusted, and this group brings sparkle to the point of the shape. Mejuri’s Mini Heart Pavé Diamond Studs use solid 10k gold and natural diamonds; Gorjana’s 14K Diamond Pavé Heart Studs also use natural diamonds. Brilliant Earth’s lab diamond pair totals 0.27 carat and has push backs, while Monica Vinader’s lab-created diamond huggies total 0.09 carat.

 

Not every bright heart here is diamond: Kendra Scott sets white topaz in vermeil, and BaubleBar and SHASHI use cubic zirconia. Jennifer Meyer’s open heart traces diamond bezels in 18k gold.

 

Setting labels matter more than a broad word like sparkle. I would compare the metal, stone, closure, then total stone weight; the product details distinguish natural diamonds, lab-created diamonds, white topaz, and cubic zirconia. What I would skip: calling every bright finish a diamond when I actually want one specific stone. A single pavé pair is enough with a plain metal stud elsewhere.

A puffed heart is already a focal point, so I would check the dimensions before choosing a stud or a drop. MADE BY MARY’s Puffy Heart Hoop Charm Earrings pair 10 mm hearts with 13 mm hoops; By Adina Eden’s plated stainless steel studs measure 1 inch long, and Roxanne Assoulin’s matte gold-tone brass studs measure 0.75 inch. Jennifer Fisher’s hollow hearts are 7/8 inch wide by 1 inch long, with 14k gold posts and goldtone plate. Ana Luisa’s Wesley mixes gold-plated hoops with rhodium-plated brass hearts; Luv Aj’s crystal-set charms can be removed. Ippolita’s hammered 18k hearts use French wires, while Ettika’s plated studs give the shape a wide, rounded profile.

 

One styling idea: a sculptural heart with a plain crewneck and hair pulled back, not another statement necklace competing for space.

 

Queen Victoria’s 19th-century bracelet made the heart a family keepsake: each charm stood for a child and held a lock of hair. The shape can be tender and substantial at once. I would check the listed dimensions and closure, especially when the earring is meant to be the main event.

For heart earrings, I would decide the scale first: close little studs for a quiet note, hinged hoops for movement, pavé for sparkle, or a puffed heart as the only statement. Then I would check the metal, stone, and closure in that order.

 

I keep coming back to the shape because it has held several stories at once, from a love poem to a Scottish protective brooch to a family keepsake. One good heart need not explain itself. It only has to be the right punctuation for the rest of the look.