Anneaux clickers

How a clicker works

A clicker ring is a continuous circle with one hinged section. Press the segment and it swings out on the hinge; pass the open end through the piercing; push it back until you hear the click. It stays shut by a sprung catch rather than by tension or a screw.

The advantage is that nothing comes off in your hands.

A BCR, or ball closure ring, is held shut by a small bead under pressure. It's the traditional fitting and it works, but the bead is a separate part, and separate parts end up on bathroom floors.

A seamless ring has no join at all. You twist the ends apart sideways to open it. Cleanest possible line, but it needs care each time and the metal doesn't like being opened repeatedly.

A clicker gives you the unbroken look of a seamless ring with a mechanism you can operate one-handed, in a mirror, without pliers. That's why it's what most people end up wearing, and why it costs more to make.

One thing worth knowing: a clicker's hinge is the part that wears. Open it only as far as it needs to go, and don't twist the segment sideways.

Where a clicker goes

The fastening doesn't care which piercing it's in. The diameter does.

Septum. The most common home for a clicker, and where the decorative ones earn their keep since the design sits front and centre. 8mm suits most adult faces.

Daith. The fold of cartilage just inside the ear canal. A clicker is the sensible fitting here because the placement is awkward to reach and a hinge is far easier to close in that space than a bead. Diameter matters more than usual, because the ring has to follow the curve of the fold.

Helix and tragus. The outer rim and the small flap in front of the canal. Smaller diameters sit neatest, and a clicker avoids the fiddle of closing a ring against cartilage.

Because these are cartilage placements, anything that's still settling is a question for the piercer who did it rather than for a product page.

Getting the size right

Diameter is measured across the inside of the ring and decides how the piece sits.

6mm. Tight and neat. The usual pick for helix and tragus.

8mm. Our deepest-stocked size, and the standard for a septum.

10mm. Sits lower and reads from further away.

12mm. The largest we carry, and clearly a statement.

Daith sizing varies most, because it depends on the shape of your own cartilage fold. Ask your piercer what diameter they fitted.

Gauge is the thickness of the ring, and it has to match the piercing you already have. 1.2mm (16g) is the UK standard for septums and most ear cartilage, with 1mm (18g) used in some ear placements and 1.6mm (14g) for a septum that's been stretched. If you don't know yours, take your current piece to a piercer and have it measured. Our gauge-to-millimetre conversion chart converts both ways.

Materials. 316L surgical steel in plain, gold, rose gold and black finishes makes up most of the range, alongside silver, gold-plated silver (described as plated, because that's what it is) and around twenty pieces in solid 14k gold.

Common questions

What is a clicker ring?

A ring with a hinged segment that swings open and clicks shut. There's no bead to lose and no thread to line up, which makes it the easiest ring fitting to put in yourself.

What's the difference between a clicker and a BCR?

A BCR is held closed by a small removable bead under tension. A clicker uses a hinge and a sprung catch, so nothing detaches. Clickers are quicker to fit and harder to lose; BCRs are the traditional option and usually cheaper.

What size clicker ring do I need?

Two numbers. Diameter sets how the ring sits: 6mm for helix and tragus, 8mm for most septums, 10mm and 12mm for something more visible. Gauge must match your piercing, and 1.2mm (16g) is the UK standard.

Can I use a septum clicker in my daith?

If the gauge matches and the diameter suits your anatomy, yes. It's the same fitting. Daith folds vary a lot between people, so check the diameter with your piercer before ordering.