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Mostly the same care as a ring, with two differences. Earrings sit beside your hair, so they meet hairspray, shampoo and perfume far more often, and the part that fails first is usually the butterfly back rather than the stone.
The stone is the least fragile part of a moissanite earring. Moissanite is silicon carbide, rated at about 9.25 on the Mohs scale, although some sources give a figure up to 9.5. What wears out first is everything around it: the plating, the prongs and, above all, the small back that keeps the earring on your ear.
That changes what useful care looks like. For a ring, the question is mostly what your hands touch. For earrings it is what your hair touches, and whether the back is still gripping. We have written separately about why moissanite does not cloud and about cleaning sterling silver at home; this post covers what is specific to earrings.
What does an earring meet that a ring does not?
A ring meets soap, hand cream, cooking and the occasional knock against a counter. An earring meets a different list: shampoo and conditioner, styling products, hairspray, perfume sprayed near the neck, and the oils of your scalp and the skin behind the ear.
Several jewellers and gem sellers agree on the effect. Skin oil, soap, lotion, hairspray and other cosmetics leave a thin film on a stone, and that film is what makes moissanite look dull. Silicones in some cosmetics are also blamed for a rainbow-coloured “oil slick” across the facets. None of this is damage to the stone. It is a coating sitting on top of it, and it comes off.
The same products also collect where the stone is held. Residue gathers around the prongs and in the gap beneath a stone, where a cloth cannot reach, which is why a stone can look flat even after a wipe.
Which part of the earring wears out first?
In rough order of how often it causes a problem, it is the back, the plating, the prongs and last, the stone. The table sets out what each part meets and what to do about it.
| Part | What it meets | What goes wrong | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butterfly back | Pressure on every wear, hair, hair products | Spring tension weakens and the earring can slip off | Check the grip regularly; replace or upgrade the back |
| Plating | Rubbing, perfume, abrasive cloths | A thin coating over silver, so it can wear thin in time | Soft cloth only; keep out of ultrasonic cleaners |
| Prongs and setting | Residue, knocks, catching on hair and scarves | Film collects underneath; a bent prong can loosen a stone | Soft brush when washing; check the stone is still firm |
| Stone | Skin oil, soap, hair products | Surface film that looks like dullness | Warm soapy water, rinse, dry |
| Silver underneath | Air, sweat, sulfur compounds | Darkening as silver sulfide forms | Store dry, wipe after wearing |
Why do earring backs keep loosening?
A friction back is a small piece of springy metal that grips the post. It works by tension, and tension fades. GIA’s bench guidance describes the springs loosening until the catch is less distinct, with a real risk of losing the earring. Jewellers who repair them say the same: regular wear stretches the metal and weakens the grip, and hair products and cosmetics can hasten it.
A loose standard back can sometimes be restored by gently squeezing it with your fingers or tweezers. Do not overdo it, because a back that is too tight is hard to remove and uncomfortable. If you are unsure, a jeweller can adjust it in a minute.
If you keep losing earrings, the usual upgrade is a screw back or a locking back. Both hold more securely than a plain friction back, at the cost of a few extra seconds each time you put them on. Our studs, including the moissanite stud earrings and the flower cluster studs, ship with a straight post and a push-on butterfly back, so a locking back is something you would add yourself.
How should you clean moissanite earrings?
Keep it simple. Soak the earrings for ten minutes or so in warm water with a little mild dish liquid. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush, concentrating on the underside of the stone and around the prongs, then rinse well and dry with a lint-free cloth. Rinsing matters, because soap left behind is itself a film.
Some retailers suggest ammonia soaks or silver-polishing cloths for stubborn residue. We would not use either on plated pieces. The plating is a thin layer over 925 sterling silver, and anything abrasive is hard on it. If you are curious about how long plating lasts, we cover it in our rhodium plating post.
On ultrasonic cleaners, sources disagree depending on what they are cleaning. Moissanite itself tolerates them, and a jeweller may recommend one for a deep clean. Several repair shops and appliance makers also warn that the vibration can wear plated surfaces. Because our earrings are plated, warm soapy water and a soft brush is the safer route.
Why does silver darken even on plated earrings?
Tarnish on silver is mostly silver sulfide, which forms when silver meets sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide in the air. Sterling silver is 92.5 per cent silver with the balance mainly copper, so the metal beneath the plating is a material that does react slowly with its surroundings. We explain the alloy in our post on 925 sterling silver.
Plating slows contact between the silver and the air, but it is a coating and not a guarantee. Where it is thin, or worn, darkening can appear. Some care guides also advise taking silver off before applying cosmetics and perfume, and we agree: it is a cheap habit that protects the metal and keeps film off the stone.
What is a sensible routine for everyday earrings?
Put your earrings in last, after hair, perfume and lotion. Take them out before washing your hair, and wipe them with a soft cloth when they come off. Store them dry, in a pouch or box, apart from other jewellery so the prongs do not catch.
Once a month, or whenever they look flat, give them a warm soapy wash. At the same time, press on each stone with a fingertip to confirm it does not move, and tug gently on the back to confirm it still grips. Both checks take under a minute and catch a loose stone or a tired back before an earring is lost.
If you are still choosing, our guide to stud size covers the widths.
Moissanite earrings and related pieces
Everything below is set on 925 sterling silver and ships from Canada to addresses in Canada and the United States. Moissanite is a real gemstone in its own right, silicon carbide, and every listing says so.
Moissanite flower cluster studsseven stones in a shared bead-prong setting, 7.2 mm across
Moissanite stud earringsone stone on four prongs, from 3 mm to 8 mm
Moissanite tennis braceleta continuous line of prong-set stones
Moissanite eternity bandstones all the way round, in three stone sizes
Marquise-cut moissanite ringan elongated cut that reads larger on the finger
Floating solitaire necklacea single stone in a near-invisible setting
Moissanite cross pendantone size, in gold or rhodium tone
Cubic zirconia tennis braceleta lower-cost stone in the same tennis style
You can browse the full range by category — rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces — or start with our best sellers, which is where most people begin.
Common questions
Do moissanite earrings need different care than a ring?
The stone needs the same care, but the exposure differs. Earrings sit beside hair, so they meet hairspray, shampoo and perfume more often, and the push-on butterfly back is the part that most often needs attention, not the stone.
How often should you clean moissanite earrings?
A quick wipe with a soft cloth after wearing, and a warm-water wash with a little mild dish liquid when they look dull, is enough for most people. Film from skin oil and hair products builds slowly, so the schedule is set by what you put on your hair, not by the calendar.
Should you put earrings in before or after hairspray?
After. Residue from hairspray, lotion and cosmetics is a common cause of dull-looking moissanite, so it is simplest to finish your hair and perfume first and put the earrings in last.
Why do earring backs keep loosening?
A friction back holds the post by spring tension, and that tension weakens with use as the metal fatigues. A loose standard back can sometimes be gently squeezed to grip again, and a screw or locking back is the usual upgrade if you keep losing them.
Can you put moissanite earrings in an ultrasonic cleaner?
The stone itself tolerates it, but we would keep plated pieces out of the machine, because the vibration can wear a thin plated surface. Our earrings are plated over 925 sterling silver, so warm soapy water and a soft brush is the safer route.
More questions
We answer shipping, returns, sizing and care questions on our FAQ page. If something is not covered there, get in touch and a person from the workshop will answer.
References
The care guidance in this article draws on published jewellery-trade and gemmological sources rather than marketing copy. Moissanite hardness is commonly quoted at about 9.25 on the Mohs scale, and some sources quote up to 9.5. The behaviour of friction earring backs is described in GIA’s bench-tip guidance on adjusting earring backs and in jewellers’ repair advice. Silver tarnish is chiefly silver sulfide formed by sulfur compounds, as described in conservation literature. Advice on residue, soap and ultrasonic cleaning comes from several independent jewellers, and we have noted where they disagree.
