Sterling Silver Italian Plain Hoop Earrings 15mm, 5mm Tube

A plain hoop is a continuous ring of round tube, polished and left undecorated. There is nowhere for a fault to hide in one: the whole design rests on the evenness of the curve and the quality of the polish, which is why the plain hoop is the piece a maker tends to be judged on.

This pair is sterling silver, formed from 5 mm tube with an inside diameter of 15 mm Ñ 25 mm measured across the outside, which is the figure to compare against a hoop you already own. Tube is what makes a hoop of any size wearable. The wall of the tube carries the shape and the hollow centre carries no weight at all, so the hoop stays light in the piercing even as the diameter grows.

At 15 mm the hoop clears the lobe and reads clearly as a ring. It is the usual size for a second or third piercing, where anything larger would crowd the hoop below it. A 5 mm tube is the heaviest gauge in the range. At a small diameter it produces a short, thick ring Ñ more cuff than wire Ñ which is a deliberate look rather than a scaled-up version of the finer hoops.

Specification

• Metal: sterling silver (925)
• Style: Plain Hoop
• Tube: 5 mm
• Inside diameter: 15 mm
• Outside diameter: 25 mm
• Construction: Tube
• Finish: Polished
• Sold as: Pair

Sterling silver is 925 parts per thousand fine silver, the balance copper. The copper is what makes it workable Ñ fine silver on its own is too soft to hold a form Ñ and it is also why sterling tarnishes: the copper reacts with sulphur in the air. Tarnish is a surface film, not corrosion. It polishes off with a silver cloth and the metal beneath is unchanged.

Servicing. Tube is hollow, which is what keeps the hoop light Ñ and it is also the limit of what can be done to it. A tube hoop cannot be resized, and a crushed or kinked section generally cannot be brought back, so store hoops where they cannot be compressed or sat on. Store silver in a closed box or a zip bag when it is not being worn Ñ tarnish is driven by air, not by wear, so the pieces you wear least are the ones that darken first. Sold as a pair.