25 Subtle Inner-Ear Piercings That Add a Pinch of Sparkle

Ear piercing has been trending towards more piercings in a single ear but with smaller pieces of jewelry for each. We’ve written about ear constellations which are just a grouping of piercings that balances nicely and adds a personalized touch. Forget lobes, these looks are best achieved by a variety of inner-ear piercings including the conch, helix, daith, and rook. The inner-ear is kind of the final frontier when it comes to pierced ears, so you might have some reservations. Let us help!

We took a deep dive (sorry) into the world of inner-ear piercings to discover what sort of areas are most popular and what the best type of jewelry for each. Now, you know how parts of your ear fill thicker than others? That is due to the cartilage which makes certain areas of the ear feel tough. Much of the inner-ear has a good deal of it so these piercings are not going to be for the faint of heart! Let’s take a look at 25 examples of amazing inner-ear piercings to help inspire your own ear decor.

Cool Conch

A conch piercing can be in the form of a ring like you see above or a stud or bar. It’s called a conch because of its semicircular apse, shaped like half a dome. This of the seashell! You’ll see plenty more of these on this list so get ready for some variety!

Daith Ring

A daith is a piercing through the inner cartilage fold of the ear, just above the earhole. Rings in this are are most popular because they accentuate the shape of the inner-ear.

Conch Stud

Here’s a conch piercing that’s not a ring around the ear, but instead, a handsome little stud. If you’re looking for something very low-key, this would be the right approach.

Conch and Upper Helix

The helix is the rim of the external ear. Rings around the area are popular, but this curved piece of jewelry looks fantastic along the upper ear.

The Rook

A rook piercing goes through the inner edge of the uppermost ridge in your ear. It’s one step above a daith piercing, which is the smaller ridge above the ear canal, and two steps above the Tagus, the curved bulb covering your inner ear. Check out this handsome piece of jewelry with contrasting decorative ends.

Industrial and Daith

There’s a daith inside and through the upper and mid helix, you’ll find an industrial piercing. Depending on the shape of your ear, daith piercings can be more or less visible. As you can see, this person’s is deep-set and therefore is like a little secret.

Smooth Rook

Here’s an example of simple rook jewelry that doesn’t catch too much attention. You can get flashier if you’d like, but for a subtle look you might consider something similar.

All in the Helix

Here, we find four helix piercings that extend from the lower to upper helix. These of course, will garner more attention but they’re still rather subtle. There could be some sort of dangling chain connecting them all but this person has decided to keep it simple.

Bendy Industrial

Most people associate that straight bar from one part of the helix to the next, but a curved bar might be the best option for you. This simple wave shape looks unique.

Tattoo and Flat

The tattoo and piercing combination in the upper ear is called a flat piercing. As you can see, this area is smooth and free from folds making it a great spot to get creative. This cute little flower with diamond stud is a nice look.

Double Opal Rook

Rooks can take some pretty fabulous jewelry. Here we find a piece that’s sweetly punctuated by two opals. There’s just the right amount of glitter and dazzle here.

Two Flat

Stacked piercings are a great option for the flat of the ear. Here, we find a pair that looks beautifully situated inside the upper ear.

Triple Conch

Here’s another stacked-style piercing featuring a triple conch piercing with studs of varying sizes. Always do you best to find jewelry that will work in harmony with the shapes around it. This is perfect.

Double Rook

The rook is a weird place to get pierced some people claim it’s one of the most painful spots while others say there are less nerve endings in the area. It is a completely personal experience, but take into account that a double rook might be double the pain.

Dizzying Daith

A daith piercing is another spot that people tend to complain about. We love this circular jewelry in this one.

Triple Conch

Here’s another triple conch piercing that features a purple piece at its center. This looks pretty wonderful, but we wish the shape of the stone were more round.

Painful Daith

“Definitely the most painful experience of my life,” the person wrote of their new daith piercing. Apparently the person doing it had misshaped the heart which made the jewelry extremely difficult to install. The person had to be pierced again to get it to work. Ouch.

Yellow Gold Conch

Check out this moon-shape in the conch. What a beautiful piece for this semi secret spot inside the inner ear.

Triple Industrial

Well, this was a choice and it’s the least bit subtle, but we want you to know that there are options. This triple industrial piercing is absolutely wild!

Stacked Rook

We love this person’s taste in jewelry. The small twig-shaped piece looks excellent as a conch. We also find two tiny little rings stacked through the rook.

Very Stacked Rook

Why have just two when you can go for three? This is a larger gauge of piercing and feels more substantial. Live your life!

Two Flat & Two Helix

This is a magical little constellation of piercings that features two helix and two flat piercings. Generally, we prefer a curved piece for the helix but this neat looking vertical bar looks very nice.

Conch & Flat

A conch piercing is the perfect spot to get a little jazzy with your jewelry. Here, we find the tinies snake. There’s a diamond stud through the flat which helps bring so much sparkle.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 31 Beautiful Ear Tattoos That Are Better Than Piercings

Blue Rook & Triple Helix

This person is doing the most and we don’t hate it. We love the choice of blue metallics and gems here. The three piercings through the helix balance the rook and tragus piercings. What a look! You too can get a curated look by working with an experienced piercer who can help guide you.

We hope you enjoyed these inner-ear piercings and will consider getting one yourself. These are fun because they can be virtually hidden with subtle pieces or grab attention with more intricate jewelry. Happy piercing!