At Baby Jewels, our fastest growing category is our baby and children's earrings category.  Moms and Grandmothers are our main customers here and whilst the traditional earrings remain popular, we have long taken note of the popularity of our "Critter Range."

By "critter," I guess we mean natural creatures.  We have kids' earrings featuring the following:  ladybugs, butterflies, dragonflies, bumblebees, honey bees, bears, cats, pengins, bunny rabbits, green turtles, snails, owls, Bambi fawns, Nemo fish, frogs, giraffes, starfish, dolphins, even elephants!

We have other baby and children's jewelry e.g. baby bracelets and children's bracelets, to match many of these earrings so if a child has a particular love of an animal, bird or insect, she can have a jewelry set.  We also have some baby and children's necklaces with pendants of some of these "critters."

Most of these earrings are in sterling silver, many are hand-enamelled in various colours pleasing to the eye of our kids.  Cute, chubby shapes that kids love.  Earrings that kids will fall in love with and want to wear every day.

Even just a decade ago, we rarely saw a baby or little girl wearing jewelry.  These days most babies have a bracelet, but many have several.  They may also have a necklace or baby anklet or possibly a baby brooch.  

Children are a little harder on jewelry than babies, and they tend to wear less expensive styles of jewelry, possibly acrylic or alloy, but usually have a sterling silver or gold bracelet at home for special occasions.  

One item of children's jewelry has boomed in popularity in recent years:  children's earrings.  Today, almost all little girls have their ears pierced and they adore their earrings.  Most have several pairs which they alternate.  Some might be specifically for school, others for weekend wear, and others for special occasions.

We have always loved dressing our girls up and jewelry is just an extension of that.  Today we are lucky enough to have access to a wide variety of beautiful styles of children's jewelry, particularly baby bracelets, and most are quite affordable. 

We at Baby Jewels, when searching for new stock for our Children's Earrings category, always look firstly to safety.  A short earring rod is essential, because children's earlobes are finer than an adult's.  A long rod may create irritation around the tender area behind the ear, especially when the wearer is asleep.  The earring should be lightweight, have a tight-fitting nut and be small enough that it doesn't overwhelm the earlobe.

What do little girls look for in their earrings?  Colour and sparkle seems to be a priority!  Colourful crystals in pinks, reds, blues and purples, in particular, are very popular.  Also, hand-enamelling over sterling silver, is much loved, and is available in such pretty colours.  CZ stones too, in the same popular colours of crystals, provide sparkle.  Children are very partial to an earring that dangles, so that they can feel it move as they wear it, and they know that it's movement catches the light.  But not all parents share a love of dangly earrings.  Some parents believe they are too "grown up."  Though that idea seems to be losing ground.  

Kids also love "critter earrings" - animal, bird and insect shaped earrings.  Most popular style currently is the sterling silver, red enamelled ladybug earrings.  Of course, our green turtle earrings and butterfly earrings and dragonfly earrings, have always been very much loved.

Jewelry wearers of all ages, but most especially children, adore jewelry and especially earrings, that feature hearts.  Hearts that are colourful and sparkly are popular with both adults and children.

The variety of children's earrings available especially online but also at our local jewelry stores is enormous.  Designers have created some irresistable earrings for our children.  And kids really love their earrings.

Children's earrings are our 2nd biggest seller, but only by a tiny margin, at Baby Jewels.  Baby bracelets are still the biggest seller and of course, we have loads of them from which to choose.  There are plenty of good reasons why children's earrings are becoming more and more popular, as gifts for girls, and are likely to become our biggest seller within a few years, we predict.  

Firstly, they are a more affordable gift than children's bracelets and bangles, with most styles between $15 and $25.  Secondly, most children are anxious to get their ears pierced from an early age and this is happening at an earlier and earlier stage, including during babyhood.  

Most often, by the time a little girl has her ears pierced, she has nagged Mom for 6 months to a year!  Mothers often think caring for the ears will be time-consuming and difficult, but are often pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the healing process goes.  Children from about the age of 5 can do a good job of cleaning their ears daily and they heal up very quickly.

If you purchase those first earrings in gold, silver, stainless steel or titanium, it's highly unlikely there will be an allergic reaction. So you can stop worrying about that aspect.

Kids love to choose their own earrings.  Sit them in front of the computer and bring up a children's earrings site to get some idea of what they like, or let them choose for themselves.  

Children's earrings are well made, lightweight, small enough that they won't overwhelm a little earlobe, and are made with children in mind.  Sparkly, shiny and colourful, is what kids like.

They also like little drop earrings because they love to feel their earrings move as they move.  But choose very tiny ones if you go this route.  At Baby Jewels we have some sweet and petite, drop earrings, perfect for children.

Give them a little children's jewelry box to keep her earrings safe.  She will happily build up quite a collection during her childhood, added to her children's necklaces, anklets, and bracelets!

In earlier generations, few babies and children wore earrings.  But today baby earrings and children's earrings are commonplace in the playground/school/shopping centres.  A more affluent society and changing attitudes, most likely the reasons.

While most children over the age of 5 appear to have their ears pierced, it's mainly the option of piercing a baby's ears that causes concern (and even contention in mothers' groups.)  A bit of research shows no medical reason why it shouldn't be done, though paediatricians seem to agree that after the age of 3 months, when the baby's immune system can cope better if infection occurs, is safest.  

So long as instructions are followed, wtih daily cleaning of the piercings, there should be no problem.  Baby earrings can be small and insignificant or they can be bright and sparkly.  Ensure the rods are short and the earring light, for the comfort of baby and she will probably not even know she's wearing earrings.

Children can often take care of their own daily cleaning.  I know my two older grandchildren did.  They were five when they had their ears pierced.  The little one will have her ears pierced too, if she wants, when she's five. It's good for them to take responsibility for their own new piercings.  

These days instructions include not turning the earrings daily.  In years gone by, it was considered appropriate to turn the earrings daily, but it's now advised to leave them be, let the healing take place fully, then turn them after 30-40 days.  

Children's earrings are only slightly larger than baby earrings.  Again, short rods are necessary, and tightly fitted "nuts" to ensure any fiddling doesn't result in a lost earring.  

At Baby Jewels, we find, of all children's jewelry, children's earrings are the most popular.  They aren't as expensive as children's bracelets, and generally, children love their earrings best!

There has been a rapid increase in babies and children getting their ears pierced very early.  I know my own grandchildren have been keen to have their ears pierced and have been told they can have their ears pierced at the age of 5.  Great excitement going on as Miss Four, who is closing in on her fifth birthday, scans the Baby Jewels collection.  Miss Five already sports sterling silver hearts with a clear cz, in a stud earring and they are acceptable for school.  She’s been wearing them for months.  The last ones she also wore for months, they were little red cherry earrings, especially made for little girls, with a short rod.

Some cultures pierce their newborn’s ears in the first month.  From my reading, paediatricians recommend anytime from three months as being safe.  This gives the baby three months to build up their immunity.  For newborns, the tiniest stud type baby earrings are available, some so small they create just a glimmer of colour on baby’s ear lobe.  Gold and silver baby earrings are both popular, but tiny pearl baby earrings are also popular, especially for Christenings and Baptisms.  The tiny pearl baby earrings therefore make a great newborn gift, baby Christening gift or even Baby Shower gift, once it is known the coming baby is a girl.

Some parents prefer screw-backs, others like the tightly fitting silver or gold, that match the baby’s earrings.  Also popular are tiny, soft, silicone backs. 

Older girls have a huge choice of children’s earrings, including some drop earrings (from studs) or older children’s earrings that dangle from a hook, like Mum’s. The silicone backs can be put on the ends of the hooks for added safety, if preferred.  They are skin coloured, and therefore aren’t very visible.

Most popular with girls aged from 4 – 10 are the “critter” range.  Tiny sterling silver turtle earrings which drop from a stud and sterling silver, enamelled elephants.  Blue crystal butterfly earrings that dangle from a hoop, butterflies, dragonflies and ladybugs.  The sterling silver ladybug earrings for children are my biggest seller. 

Girls over 10 – teens have a new selection of grown up earrings, crystal encrusted hearts dropping from a hook, crystal butterflies on a hook etc.  And for all school-aged children, the range of single stones on studs:  garnet cz, amethyst cz, diamond cz, are all popular and permitted at school. 

Of all the various types of baby jewellery, baby earrings are worn with the least amount of fuss by the baby.  They sit on their ears, unfelt and unseen, impressing only friends and family!

It is important that earrings be lead and nickel free to ensure against allergic reactions to which some babies are prone.

Earrings have always been a popular adornment for babies and children.  These days the tradition is being revived and it's becoming increasingly accepted for babies to have their ears pierced at quite a young age.

Tiny studs, often in the shape of teddy bears, animals, flowers or insects are very popular.  For religious reasons, some choose a silver or gold cross.

Choose earings without sharp edges and a firmly held backing plate, also rounded for safety.

As children grow, they will enjoy looking at their baby photos showing the tiny earrings they wore at the time.

In Australia, and most likely elsewhere in the Western world, a popular topic to be found on mother’s online forums, discussed at playgroups and debated in families, is the piercing of babies’ and children’s ears and the wearing of tiny baby/children’s earrings.  It is a polarising subject, with the “fors” and the “againsts” adamant that their opinions are “correct”.

Many cultures over the centuries have pierced babies’ ears but in Western nations, this hasn’t been a popular tradition.  However, there is an increased awareness of the subject, as more and more parents have their baby’s ears pierced.  The age that babies have their ears pierced is becoming younger and younger.  It is now quite common to see a very young baby girl with the glimmer of gold, silver or precious stone on a perfect shell-like ear!  More and more commonly, boy babies too, are having a single ear-lobe pierced and sport a diamond which may in fact be a cubic zirconia but looks just as good.

Paediatricans advise that provided babies are over 6 weeks, and the parent scrupulously cleans the ear daily and turns the earring until healing is complete, which can take several weeks, there is no reason why the piercing of a baby’s ear is dangerous.  The piercing does cause momentary pain, but minutes later it has been forgotten.  The earrings sit on the ears unfelt and unseen, impressing only friends and family!

Piercing older children’s ears may not be as simple.  Little girls may well be looking forward to having their ears pierced and to wearing the beautiful little children’s earrings that are available, but when the time comes, they may be frightened and change their minds.  Some children back out several times, but each time, regret not being “brave” enough and then agreeing to it again.  It can become a trial but usually, the desire for the earrings wins out and the deed is done.  Never to be regretted. 

One benefit of waiting until a baby is older to have her ears pierced is that an older child can often clean their own ears and turn their own earrings from quite a young age.  Often this is given as a reason by mothers, for waiting.

It is important that earrings be lead and nickel free and made of a metal that will ensure a low chance of allergic reaction to which some babies are prone.  The word “hypoallergenic” covers earrings made from 925 Silver (sterling silver), stainless steel, titanium and gold, which are generally the safest metals.  .  Choose earrings without sharp edges and a firmly held backing plate, also rounded for safety. 

Tiny studs, often in the shape of teddy bears, animals, hearts, flowers or insects are very popular.  For religious reasons, some choose a silver or gold cross.

As little girls grow, they will delight in choosing their own earrings and will often choose a slightly dangly earring, called a “drop earring”.  Earrings also make excellent birthday and Christmas gifts for babies and children, and often grandparents buy a children’s jewelry box in which to keep the growing collection.  Jewellery boxes can be silverplated trinket boxes, or multi-level and drawered creations featuring Brahms Lullabys and turning ballerinas.  All do an excellent job of keeping a little girl’s earrings – and other jewelry – safe.

As they grow up, children will enjoy looking at their baby photos showing the tiny earrings they wore at the time.