One Earring or a Pair? How to Order the Right Quantity

Quantity 1 means different things on different earring listings. On some pages it gets you one earring. On others it gets you a matched pair.

Before you change the quantity box, find the selling unit in the product description. Then work out how many earrings you actually plan to wear. Here’s what quantities 1 and 2 mean for two sterling silver stud listings in our catalog.

What quantity 1 and quantity 2 actually supply

On small screens, scroll across the quantity table.

The Ouroboros listing says each order includes one earring with its back, and it tells you to order two for a matched pair. The Ankh listing is sold as a matching pair, so one unit already contains two earrings.

A back is fastening hardware. It doesn't count as another earring.

Don't use the photos to work out what's included. A model wearing one earring doesn't mean one is supplied, and a photo with two earrings doesn't confirm a pair. Go by the wording in the product description.

Three common plans, worked out

One earring in one ear

Set the Ouroboros stud to quantity 1 and you get exactly one earring.

It's a 13 mm circle of solid .925 sterling silver: a scaled serpent whose skull-like head meets its own tail, with polished raised details against dark recesses. The serpent's body is 2 mm wide, and one earring weighs about 2 g.

It's a stud with a post and friction back. It doesn't open or hinge like a hoop.

You can also wear one Ankh by itself. Because that listing is a pair, quantity 1 still brings two earrings, so the second one becomes a spare. This listing is sold as a pair.

A matched pair

For two Ouroboros studs, set the quantity to 2. For two Ankh studs, leave it at 1. If you set the Ankh to 2, you'll receive four earrings. That gives you two matching pairs, for example one to wear and one to keep or give someone.

Mixed designs

Say you want the Ankh pair plus one Ouroboros stud. That's one Ankh order at quantity 1 and one Ouroboros order at quantity 1, for three earrings in total.

If you only plan to wear one Ankh and one Ouroboros, you'll still own three earrings. One Ankh stays unused. Decide whether a spare is useful to you before you check out.

Compare cost per earring supplied

A listing price covers one selling unit, so it doesn't tell you what each earring costs. Divide the price by the number of earrings that unit supplies.

Here's a hypothetical: if a single-stud listing and a pair listing showed the same price, each earring from the pair would cost half as much. Real prices vary, though, so neither format is automatically cheaper. Do the math with the prices shown on the product pages when you order.

Check availability on the product page too. Stock can change between browsing and checkout.

Before-checkout worksheet

Fill this in for each design in your cart:

1. Earrings you need: how many of this design you'll wear, plus any spares you want.
2. Selling unit: whether the description says single earring or pair.
3. Quantity to order: earrings needed divided by earrings per unit, rounded up. Write down any leftover.
4. Back and fastening: check the included items and the named closure separately. The Ouroboros listing includes a back; the Ankh listing names butterfly-back fastening. Neither listing here states post length or gauge.

Example: you want two Ouroboros studs. You need 2 earrings, the unit is one earring, so you order quantity 2, and each earring comes with a friction back.

The Ankh works the other way. You want 2 earrings, the unit is a pair, so you order quantity 1. Each earring measures 0.25 × 0.60 inch (about 6.4 × 15.2 mm) and fastens with a post and butterfly back.

Once the quantity is settled, you may still be choosing between something close to the ear and something that hangs. Our guide to skull studs vs. hoop drops covers silhouette and movement. To compare more designs, browse the earrings collection.

The two studs in this guide