The earrings to wear and avoid for each face shape, because your jewellery has a big impact on your appearance

Before every haircut, I’m not ashamed to admit I read up on what styles suit my face shape best. It was a similar story when I treated myself to a new pair of Jimmy Fairly sunglasses in the summer, researching how to balance my face’s proportions on the bus on the way to the shop. So when I heard the same logic could be applied to your jewellery choices, with earring styles looking better on certain face shapes more than others, I was *definitely* intrigued.

It goes without saying – fashion rules are never really rules. Our approach is all about embracing joy. IMO, the only fashion rule you should pay any attention to is: if something makes you feel happy, comfortable and confident – wear it! That being said, if you’re anything like me (read: chronically indecisive), sometimes it can be helpful to have fashion ‘guidelines’ that suggest what could suit you best and make the whole decision process much more straightforward.

To see if there was any merit in this thinking when applied to accessorising, we turned to the pros, consulting three different jewellery experts. “Choosing earrings that harmonise with your face shape can enhance your features, frame your beauty and allow you to express personal style with confidence,” explains Svetlana Hristova, Head of Retail at fine jewellery brand, Lark & Berry. “By understanding the interplay between earring shapes and facial contours, you can transform every look into a statement of elegance, balance, and effortless sophistication.”

Matilde Mourinho, founder of MATILDE Jewellery, agrees, but is quick to caveat. “Jewellery is also about personal expression — so while these recommendations are a helpful guide, the best choice will always be the style that makes you feel confident and radiant,”. We couldn’t agree more! So, whether you’re looking to streamline your jewellery box or you’re just curious but plan on taking no action, read on to find out what earrings are best suited for each face shape.

Broadly speaking, the goal for round face shapes is to use jewellery to create the illusion of length. “Look for sleek designs that hang below the jawline – this draws the eye downward and helps balance fullness in the cheeks,” advises Matilde, listing linear shapes, geometric drops and minimalist styles with a cascading effect as all good options. “Long dangle earrings or drop earrings are ideal because they naturally elongate your face and create the illusion of slimmer proportions.” A long necklace, like this season’s trending cord designs that fall to the mid-chest, also offers the same result.

Vanchi Creative Director, Yaqi Xu, agrees, “elongation is key.” And, as round faces often look youthful (no bad thing, ppl!), states the right earring choice can subtly refine facial proportions, highlighting the softness of your features and providing a touch of sophistication, too. A winning formula. “Conversely, round shapes should generally avoid large hoops or small button studs, as these tend to emphasise the roundness rather than balance it,” Svetlana adds.

Orelia Statement Crystal Starburst Drop Earrings

£35 at Orelia

Good news for the oval-faced girlies – according to Svetlana, you can pull off almost any earring style thanks to your balanced proportions. “From delicate studs to bold statement drops, hoops, or crawlers, oval faces can carry many earrings effortlessly,” she says of the most versatile face shape. The only exception is shoulder-grazing chandelier styles, “which can elongate the face further and disrupt its natural harmony.”

Anni Lu Golden Pebble Earring

£120 at anni-lu.com

Heart-shaped faces typically have a wider forehead and a narrower chin, so earrings that mirror this – think teardrop styles and designs that gradually widen to be fuller at the bottom – are particularly flattering. “They add fullness where it’s needed most, enhancing your natural symmetry and creating a soft, harmonious look,” explains Matilde.

“Balance is key,” states Svetlana. “Top-heavy earrings should be avoided as they can exaggerate the upper portion of the face. The right earrings will create visual equilibrium, adding subtle width at the jawline to bring harmony to the face.”

Daisy Jewellery Ridged Huggie Earrings Sterling Silver

£79 at daisyjewellery.com

Square-shaped faces are defined by strong jawlines and angular features – characteristics that Yaqi says, “are beautifully complemented by curves and movement.” The aim is to balance, rather than emphasise any harsh lines. “Rounded hoops and organic shapes bring softness, while pearls add a feminine fluidity, framing the face in a way that feels modern yet timeless,” she continues.

Svetlana agrees, stating, “Earrings that create soft lines help maintain a harmonious and flattering appearance. Avoiding overly square or rigid shapes ensures that the natural strength of the jawline is balanced rather than emphasised.”

Mejuri Dôme Figure Pearl Hoops

£168 at Mejuri

“Long or rectangular faces have the challenge of adding width while softening vertical lines,” says Svetlana. Statement studs, cluster-style designs and wide hoops all work well for this face shape as they add volume around the mid-point of the face. “Vertical, thin drops should generally be avoided, as they accentuate length rather than provide balance,” Svetalana adds.

Vanchi Juni Pavé Chunky Huggie Earrings in Gold

£75 at vanchi.co

The cheekbones are the most prominent feature of diamond-shaped faces, so Svetlana suggests opting for jewellery that highlights this while balancing a narrower forehead and jawline. “Oval or round studs and teardrops are ideal, complementing the cheekbones without exaggerating them.”

By Alona Odyssey Earrings

£110 at byalona.com

We've so far focused solely on statement earrings worn in a standard first lobe piercing, but what impact do multiple piercings have on your face shape and appearance? Well, according to piercing expert Natasha Lyons, actually a big one.

“At Tish Lyon, we start our piercing appointments with a face and colour analysis to help our guests curate their piercings to create balance and symmetry and draw the eye towards their best features,” Natasha explains of her eponymous jewellery brand's most popular service.

“For instance, round or oval face shapes can benefit from daith or tragus piercings to help create definition around the cheekbones,” she continues. These piercings are situated in the middle of the ear in line with the cheekbones and, as they're positioned above any lobe piercings, add an element of elongation, too.

“Rectangular, square or diamond-shaped faces can benefit from upper helix or flat piercings that help draw the eye up and emphasise the eyes,” she says. These piercings are all located toward the top of the ear and can bring needed balance.

Working out your face shape is a pretty simple process. Start by pulling your hair back and away from your face, then looking in the mirror and paying special attention to the width of your forehead versus your cheekbones versus your jawline. Don’t forget to make a mental note of how the length of your face compares, too. You should be able to visualise a shape surrounding the edge of your face, but if you’re struggling, try drawing the outline on your reflection in lipstick (don’t worry, it will wipe right off your mirror!).

If the shape isn’t immediately obvious, try matching it up to the qualities below…

Round face shapes: equal in length and width, with a soft, rounded jawline and soft cheekbones.

Oval face shapes: the face is longer than it is wide, with a rounded jaw and a forehead slightly wider than the chin.

Square face shapes: equal in width and length, with a strong jawline and flatter chin.

Rectangle face shapes: the face is longer than it is wide, with a squared jaw and square hairline/forehead.

Heart face shapes: a wide forehead, strong cheekbones and a narrow jawline with a more pointy chin.

Diamond face shapes: a narrow, small forehead and a narrow, pointy jaw with defined pointy cheekbones.

Matilde Mourinho is the founder of MATILDE Jewellery, her eponymous label named after herself, her mother and her grandmother. As well as sharing a name, Matilde’s family share a love of jewellery, passing down heirloom pieces as personal talismans. The London-based brand launched five years ago and prioritises fine jewellery made positively, sustainably and ethically from recycled 14ct gold and lab-grown diamonds.

After years spent working in the fashion industry across the US and Shanghai, Yaqi Xu decided to launch her own brand selling sourced jewellery in 2023. Initially starting as a stall in London’s Portobello Market, Vanchi quickly grew in two short years. Now, Yaqi designs all original pieces and runs her business as Creative Director alongside her husband Rajan.

Lark & Berry has been a disruptor in the fine jewellery industry since 2018, using exclusively lab-grown diamonds and stones in all the designs. Having worked in the jewellery sector for over 10 years, Svetlana Hristova joined Lark and Berry six months after the brand’s launch in November 2018 and has been in her current role of Head of Retail and Partnerships since. An expert piercer, having pierced a number of A-list ears, she specialises in ear-scaping curation.

Natasha Lyons (better known as Tish) founded her eponymous jewellery brand Tish Lyon in the ‘90s, specialising in luxury piercing and permanent jewellery crafted to last and be super comfy. As such, each piece is designed from the highest quality materials, including hypoallergenic titanium and solid gold accented with semi-precious and precious stones. As the nationwide piercing partner of John Lewis & Partners, you can find Tish Lyon studios in select John Lewis stores offering piercing and welding studios.

Alexandria Dale

Digital Fashion Writer

Alexandria Dale is the Digital Fashion Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from the celebrity style moments worth knowing about to the latest fashion news, there’s nothing she loves more than finding a high street dupe of a must-have designer item. As well as discovering new brands, she’s passionate about sustainable fashion and establishing the trends that are actually worth investing in. Having worked in fashion journalism for six years, she has experience at both digital and print publications including Glamour and Ok!