Ever wondered whether magnetic earrings are the right choice for you? Since you are at this page, you are probably considering getting a pair or two (or even more?) for yourself or friend and want to find out whether they are indeed the perfect choice.
If you are in a hurry and don't want to read through long explanations, here is a summary table of the pros and cons of magnetic earrings. Still, we encourage you to read the longer version too to get a better understanding of the benefits and not quite so good things about those trendy type of earrings. Especially the dangers are important to know about and we will be honest about that fact.
Pros
- No visible clips
- No piercing needed
- Small designs possible, unlike clipons
- Inexpensive
- Lost magnets can be replaced
Cons
- Not suitable for children or persons with unpredictable behaviour
- Extremely dangerous if magnets are swallowed or inhaled
- Danger due to brittleness
- Small parts are easy to lose
- Can't adjust strength
- Are metallic
- May have a nickel coating
- Risk of corrosion
As with all things in life, you can see that everything comes with pros and cons and what might be suitable for one person is unacceptable to an other.
So let's dive deeper into the good and not so good sides of magnetic earrings. We start with the benefits first before delving into the downsides.
Advantages
No visible fasteners
As magnetic earrings are fastened with - you guessed it - magnets, there are no visible clips that curve around the earlobe. Instead, you have one magnet on both sides of the earlobe: The front magnet has the decorative element attached to it, like pearls or a simple shape, while the magnet on the backside is normally plain and is just there to secure the actual earring. However, it is also possible to find magnetic earrings where both the front AND back side form part of the earring that wants to be seen, i.e. double-sided earrings. Often, you find a smaller pearl on the front side, with a bigger pearl at the back. That way, there is no part of the earring that one wants to discreetly hide away.
An exception to the fact of having no visible fasteners are clasp earrings that use magnets to securely hold them in place. They are essentially clip on earrings but instead of a screw or spring mechanism to close the clasp, magnets are used to close the clasp and hold the earrings in place.
No piercing needed
As the magnetic field can go through the flesh with ease, there is no need to get your ears pierced. The magnets in magnetic earrings are strong enough to hold them securely in place.
They are the perfect choice for anyone who wants to try out fashionable earrings, without going through the hassle of getting their ears pierced. Other than it being a slightly painful procedure, there is always the risk of infection and longer term complications when piercing through your earlobes.
If you are not a regular wearer of earrings and don't have pierced ears, magnetic earrings are a great choice.
That said, please be aware that magnetic earrings are not suitable for children and certain groups of people, as we will discuss later on.
Small designs possible
Most clip on earrings try to cover the biggest part of the clasp by the cabochon or design attached to them. This puts a limit on how small you can go. Making the design too small, exposes too much of the clip making the overall looks a bit odd.
Magnetic earrings don't need to cover up any clasps; if you just want some cool skull patterns on your earrings then magnetic earrings are great. Etching a cool designs on the pads of clip on earrings... well, it would be possible but it would look weird.
That said, there are aesthetic limits to the size too: What's the point of earrings that are a millimetre across and no one notices them anymore? :)
Inexpensive
Generally, magnetic earrings are on the cheaper side. This is as fine jewellery tends to stick to the more traditional methods of wearing earrings by posts or hooks (that require pierced ears) and the occasional clip on earrings.
Magnetic earrings primarily cater to the costume jewellery sector. But the borders can be a bit blurry as you do find real pearls mounted on magnets. Yet even so, they are normally freshwater pearls and those are not in the same price league like Tahitian Pearls.
Magnets are replaceable
As magnetic earrings are often on the smaller side, it is all too easy to accidentally lose an earring or a magnet. Also, since the "clasp" consists of two magnets that are not attached to each other, you have a total of 4 pieces per pair of earrings that can get lost. It is not hard to imagine how quickly a magnet can go missing: You drop it on the floor, the magnet might bounce off or rolls away and disappears behind the dresser. And if there are any magnetic metals nearby, then the trajectory of where the dropped magnet may have ended up gets even more complicated.
But the good news is that by losing just a magnet, you should find a replacement relatively easily. Simply buy a new magnet (ideally of the same size) and your earrings are ready to be worn again. However, we recommend that you buy from a jewellery store and not just a shop that sells magnets. The reason is that most "normal" magnets are coated, often with nickel, to prevent them from corroding. Nickel has no place in jewellery and the magnets found in magnetic jewellery should be free from nickel. More about that in a later section.
As you can see, there are quite a few good reasons why you may want to opt for magnetic earrings for your next pair. But one should not neglect the disadvantages that may well offset the benefits. So let's get started to see whether clip on earrings may not be the better choice...
Disadvantages
Not suitable for children or people with unpredictable behaviour
Magnetic earrings of any kind are a strict no no for children of any age. They are also not suitable for people with erratic and unpredictable behaviour.
We would also not recommend them for persons who have a pacemaker fitted. While magnets *should* not interfere with a pacemaker, you can never be 100% certain. At the very least, magnetic fields do influence electric currents. After all, your life may depend on the correct functioning of your pacemaker, so why risk it?
There are great alternatives to magnetic earrings, such as clip ons, so you can still have great looks without risking health complications.
Please note that we are not doctors here or subject experts on medical devices, so please consult your doctor if you have any concerns about the risk of magnetic fields with pacemakers.
Extremely dangerous if magnets are swallowed / inhaled
Magnets can be dangerous. In fact even life-threatening. How's that?
If magnets enter the body, either by swallowing or inhaling, they can cause internal injuries. This can be caused by a magnet sticking to a magnetic metal inside your body. For example you were fitted with a medical implant. Or you may have some shrapnel or other metallic objects from an accident in your body. If a magnet, especially of the extremely strong rare-earth variant, encounters such a foreign body its magnetic force pulls both the piece of metal and itself towards each other. The tissue in between will be squeezed very hard or may even tear causing all kind of internal injury, like internal bleeding, a ruptured bowel, etc.
While you may not have any metallic parts in your body, the risk is still present if you were to get more than a single magnet into your body. Then you would have two very strong magnets in your digestive tract (or somewhere else) that would pull towards each other. And the closer they get, the stronger the pull, again with the risk of serious internal injuries.
Thus, if you swallowed or inhaled a magnet or suspect someone else has, don't wait and seek an Accident & Emergency (A&E) department immediately! Tell the staff there what happened and you should be treated straight away. Having ingested or inhaled magnets is considered a serious medical emergency!
Magnets are brittle
On the theme of danger, there is an other issue that needs mention. While not immediate obvious and also less dangerous than the aforementioned ingestion / inhalation of magnets, one should still be wary of it.
If you ever played with (strong) magnets, you will know that playing with them is fun. Isn't it? Perhaps, but the fun might quickly be turn into a nightmare if you get injured. Why is that?
Magnets, in particular the super-strong rare earth type of magnets, are brittle. If you accidentally drop a magnet, it may shatter and the splinters may end up in your eye.
Of course, magnets are not the only fragile substance in your home. What gives magnets that extra danger is their strong magnetic force. Two teacups next to each other on your kitchen table won't suddenly break each other to pieces. Two magnets put in close vicinity to each other on the table will start pulling themselves towards each other. The closer the two magnets come, the stronger the force they exert. Thus, they accelerate faster and faster until they impact on each other with a high speed and force. This impact has the power to shatter a magnet (or both) and the flying splinters can end up in your eye.
Thus, be very careful when handling magnets. Never let them fly freely to each other with high speed. If you want to connect them to each other, do so as slowly as possible. To protect your eyes, we also recommend to wear (safety) glasses. You may be careful, but you will be surprised how quickly an accident can happen, especially with magnets. Don't underestimate their strength!
Small parts are easy to lose
As previously mentioned in the section of Pros, magnetic earrings come in four parts per pair: You have the two earrings with the design on them, and then a magnet each to secure them to your earlobe. That means you have more parts that can be lost.
Add to this the fact that magnets are normally on the smaller side and a dropped magnet can quickly bounce away to a hidden corner for it to be never found again. Also, magnets usually come in round shapes so they are also prone to roll away on smooth floor surfaces. Plus, remember the fact that they are magnetic: Have some metal furniture around? They may well end up sticking to an iron bed frame rather than rolling behind your wardrobe.
If you are unlucky enough to drop just the magnet, fear not: They are inexpensive and you should be able to source a replacement rather easily.
Can't adjust strength
Most clip on earrings allow you to adjust the strength of its closure mechanism: clips with springs can be slightly bent to make them that little bit more tight or loosen them; screw clip ons can be adjusted by turning the screw. But magnetic earrings?
Sadly, magnets can't be that simply adjusted in strength. The only way is to change the magnets themselves. You can opt for bigger / thicker magnets to get a stronger hold, or swap them for smaller ones if you find them to be uncomfortably strong.
If you have a choice between different alloys, then it is possible to go for stronger / weaker magnets of the same size, but you may struggle to find such extensive choice of magnets that are used in jewellery.
Magnetic Earrings are metallic
Magnets are metallic. Fact. So if you have a sensitivity to metals, then magnetic earrings may not please you in the long term.
There are some coatings available that claim to provide a barrier between the metal and the skin, but we can not comment on the effectiveness of such methods. Also, be aware that any coating will eventually wear off.
Allergic to metal? Best to avoid magnetic earrings then.
But all is not lost! We do have Metal-Free Clip On Earrings.
In case you do have pierced ears, you can extend your choice with our Metal-Free Stud Earrings.
May have nickel coating
Speaking of metal allergies, it should not be overlooked that magnetic earrings may contain nickel. Althouh nickel is banned in most countries for use in jewellery, the "normal" magnets sold in shops may have a nickel coating to protect them against corrosion. Magnets used in the jewellery industry do normally not contain such a nickel coating. That's why it is important not to pick up any replacement magnets from the next best shop that sells rare earth magnets. Also be wary of self-made magnetic earrings or earrings from not so well known shops. There might be no ill-will involved by the seller but they may inadvertently use nickel-coated magnets as they may be ingorant to the issues around nickel and where it might be found. Especially as such nickel-coated magnets may have the better looks. Just be aware of that fact.
Magnets used for jewellery may still be coated but they should not have a nickel coating. For super-sensitive ears, it is even possible to get gold-plated magnets! A nice yet quite expensive touch.
Risk of corrosion
From the above point you might have noticed that (rare earth) magnets are prone to corrosion ("rusting") if they do not have a protective coating. So if you see your magnets turn black-ish, you know why.
You certainly should not wear magnetic earrings - or any kind of jewellery for that matter - while taking a shower or do some physical work-outs. Chemicals such as soap, perfume, etc. as well as sweat are toxic to jewellery and may accelerate corrosion.
Still, magnetic earrings should keep their good looks for quite some time if properly stored and as we mentioned before, magnets can be replaced if needed.
We hope this summary gives you a good overview of the pros and cons of magnetic earrings. Should you consider magnetic earrings, you are now able to make an informed decision of whether this kind of earrings are the right choice for you.
As always, if you still need help or you feel we forgot something, please get in touch with us and we are happy to help as best as we can.