Jamie Hill
Despite those saying otherwise, these are not the typical size gauge sold at most common retailers. Just because some people report they can comfortably wear these doesn’t mean they are ‘standard’ sized. 16G is .050 or 1.2mm. Just as the listing states. The typical earring is 18g or 20g. The larger the number, the thinner the gauge (I even have some 22g). So a 16g *is definitely thicker* in diameter— many people won't find these comfortable... and in some cases these won’t be able to be inserted at all.The confusing claims these fit a standard ear piercing: it may be both a yes and a no. I bought them because they looked cool but I didn’t closely clock the specs, I merely scanned through the comments that these were “normal”. Problem is, they’re *not*. Perhaps the conflicting testimonials comes down to protocol and a generation gap. Piercings, over the years, shrink. The tissue tightens so the hole grows smaller, especially if you go awhile without wearing jewelry. Back in the day, the shopping mall piercers didn’t account for this fact. But if you’re younger and had your ears pierced with a slightly larger gauge needle— vs having yours done decades ago, with too small a gauge gun— you may be unbothered by how oversized a diameter these actually are. Regardless, it’s misleading for reviewers to call these standard size because any typical commercial retailer will not be selling 16g earrings. And I indeed found these very difficult to insert in all 7 of my ear piercings. (Whether you opt to insert them via the hook end w/ the small screw orby the straight end w/ the spike—the latter of which is certainly easier—it doesn’t really matter if the gauge is too thick!!)Additionally, the earrings themselves are heavier than anticipated. While I have 0 issues with the screw-in fastener, as some reported, and the build quality seems pretty decent, for me the hassle and discomfort isn’t worth it. Am I’m not thrilled with the overall look either— they push my lobes out in a way I find unflattering, the weight distribution seems off. I haven’t even worn them long enough to see if I had any reaction to them, I just don’t enjoy wearing them. As I’m reluctant to return personal jewelry, the price point is modest, and the seller has clearly listed the dimensions: this is on me, I’ll keep them. But bottom line is if your everyday pair is a typical 18-20g, shifting up to a 16g is not ideal.
