Sofia Ribbed Gold Hoop Earrings in Solid 18K Yellow Gold

What Are Ribbed Gold Hoop Earrings?

These ribbed gold hoop earrings are solid 18K yellow gold with no stones, cut with angled ridges that wrap the whole hoop like a coil. Each hoop measures 15.46 mm across and 4.46 mm at its widest, tapering toward the top, and closes with a hinge at the base and a latch post.

Product type

Ribbed solid gold hoop earrings, sold as a pair

Metal

Solid 18K yellow gold

Stones

None

Hoop dimensions

15.46 mm outer diameter, 4.46 mm at the widest point

Profile

Domed, tapering from the base of the hoop toward the latch

Surface

Angled ribs worked around the full circumference, polished

Closure

Hinged at the base with a latch post at the top

Customization

Gold karat, gold color, hoop diameter, width, rib spacing, finish, engraving

Gold on its own has to earn attention through shape, because there is no stone to do it. The ribs give this pair a broken surface that throws light in short flashes as the head moves, where a plain polished hoop gives one long highlight. Within our earrings range, this is the pair for the days when nothing else needs saying.

Why Does the Hoop Taper?

A hoop of even thickness hangs by its own weight and rotates until the heaviest part reaches the bottom. This one is built with the mass already there: 4.46 mm at the base of the curve, narrowing as it climbs toward the latch. It sits where it is put, and the widest, most heavily ribbed section is the part that faces forward from the lobe.

The ribs run at a slight angle rather than straight across, so the light they catch travels around the hoop as the head turns instead of flashing all at once. The inner face is left smooth and polished against the ear, and the hinge sits at the base of the curve where the metal is thickest, which is the part of a hoop that takes the most stress over years of opening and closing.

What Metal Is Used and How Is the Texture Made?

The hoop, the hinge, and the latch post are solid 18K yellow gold throughout, not plated, not gold filled, and not vermeil. 18K is 75 percent pure gold, which gives the deeper colour this design depends on, since the whole effect comes from the metal rather than from a stone. Every rib is formed in the gold itself rather than pressed into a plated surface, so the texture cannot wear through to a different metal underneath.

• ◆ The ribs are cut and then polished individually, so each ridge carries a rounded crest rather than the sharp edge a raw cast rib leaves
• ◆ The inner face is left smooth and slightly domed, since a ribbed inner surface catches on the back of the lobe
• ◆ The taper is worked into the wax before casting rather than filed in afterwards, which is what keeps the rib spacing even as the hoop narrows
• ◆ The hinge is set into the thickest section of the curve and the closing tension is tested by hand before the pair ships

What Can Be Specified Before Production?

These hoops are built to order. The configuration shown is a starting point, not a fixed SKU. The following options can be specified before production starts.

• ◆ Hoop diameter: 15.46 mm as shown, with smaller and larger hoops built to the same profile
• ◆ Width: 4.46 mm at the widest as shown, with slimmer and heavier versions cut to the same taper
• ◆ Rib spacing: as shown, with wider ribs for a bolder texture or finer ribs for a rope effect
• ◆ Finish: polished as shown, or brushed for a matte surface
• ◆ Gold karat: 18K as shown, or 14K
• ◆ Gold color: yellow as shown, with white or rose on request
• ◆ White gold finish: rhodium plated over solid white gold; the plating wears gradually with friction, fastest on rings, and can be re-plated
• ◆ Engraving: initials or a date cut inside the hoop, in the font you choose, included at no charge
• ◆ Diamonds: a row of stones can be set into the front face if you want the pair to carry them

For fully custom designs beyond these options, start here →