What size hoop should you choose for your conch?

By Robin Jehanno, piercing specialist at Solstice Bijoux.

Has your conch finally healed, and are you looking for new jewellery? Not sure which diameter to choose?

We faced these questions ourselves a few years ago. At Solstice, we decided to share a few tips to help you find your way.

In the middle of the ear, the conch piercing sits in the cartilage facing the ear canal. This area gives you room to style a hoop or a stud. Hoops with a diameter of 10 or 12 mm are commonly worn here.

Let's explore which diameter to choose for your conch piercing!

Which type of jewellery should you choose?

As a reminder, the conch is the hollow part of the outer ear facing the ear canal. This piercing adds depth to your ear stack and pairs easily with smaller helix and lobe piercings. In French studios, the piercing itself is often priced at around €50.

There are 2 types of conch piercing:

The inner conch, a curved area facing the external ear canal
The outer conch, the flatter, softer area between the helix and the antihelix

Our selection · Conch Jewellery

So ask yourself: which piercing do you have?

If it is an outer conch, consider a conch hoop to bring soft, rounded lines to your ear stack through its size. For an inner conch, consider a stud, a light, discreet piece.

Compare how a hoop and a stud look in the conch with the Solstice Ear Stack Builder, then check the measurements on the product page.

Build my ear stack

You can also wear a curved barbell or a heart-shaped / teardrop-shaped hoop. Remember to choose suitable materials when considering gold, titanium, 316L steel or gold-plated hoops. Material choice matters, but these descriptions alone do not guarantee suitability or prevent infection.

Which diameter should you choose for a conch hoop?

Before buying a hoop for your conch, make sure your piercing is fully healed before changing your initial jewellery. Our catalogue jewellery is for healed piercings.

If you are unsure, ask a qualified piercer to assess it. A jewellery change during healing does not mean the piercing is healed or ready for catalogue jewellery.

For your conch hoop size, 10 mm and 12 mm are the most common options. To work out which size best suits your piercing, look at its placement. Where does it sit? Is it close to the lobe or higher up?

Hoop size guide

If you are unsure, measure your ear. A 10 mm diameter hoop will give a closer fit, while a 12 mm piece will sit more loosely. The size you choose for your conch piercing also depends on your preferences!

The hoop thickness must match your existing piercing channel. 1.2 mm is one common size, but it is not universal. Ask a qualified piercer to check the fit. For background on jewellery standards for fresh piercings, see the APP criteria for initial piercing jewellery. These criteria do not mean our catalogue jewellery is suitable for initial piercings.

This TikTok compares sizes using a real ear: the same diameter can look different depending on ear anatomy and piercing placement.

TIKTOK · @SOLSTICECONSEILSAn example to help you find your conch diameter