Moving up the ear, they present a fresh alternative to the ubiquitous ear cuff.

A short, heavyset woman wearing a traditional Bajoran robe and ear cuff met them at the door.

But sparkling Spock-like ear cuffs have no great powers aside from the decorative variety.

His ring, ear cuffs and huge, shrapnel-like neck chain all gleam silver.

There is only one rule when wearing ear cuffs, or, rather, cuff: you only wear one at a time.

She shrugged, reaching up to hook an ear cuff dangling heavy rhinestones over her ear.

Although she wore the traditional ear cuff, she had forsaken the robes the older women wore.

Lara Bingle wore an ear cuff at the Caulfield Cup.

Oh yes: rose-gold hair, opaque tights, ear cuffs and Studio Nicholson.

Ear cuffs were seen at Jil Sander and Chanel.

Ferengi, Bajorans, and others who may be Bajorans, but have no ear cuffs.

Add a spiked hair comb and some subtle ear cuffs and et voila: Punk perfection.

Her latest collection, featuring spiked ear cuffs, 1990s-style crucifix hoops and avant-garde chokers, performs way above its price point (around the £100 mark).

For the role, Spearritt "grimed" herself up and bought several hair braids, nose rings, ear cuffs, "hippy-themed" earrings amongst other items.

Bajorans wear large, chained earrings and ear cuffs called d'ja pagh on their right ears, as symbols of their religious faith.

Ear cuffs - Wrap around the outer cartilage (similar to a conch piercing) and may be chained to a lobe piercing.

Gaia Repossi designed that "little hoop" ear cuff for women like herself who avoid big pendant earrings lest they hide the woman who wears them.

Model Sharnee Gates wearing a jewelled ear cuff designed by Ryan Storer in Sydney yesterday.

The woman in charge of the vast post-tsunami forensic operation here has punk-rock hair dyed purplish red, sparkly eye shadow and a silver fish-shaped ear cuff.

Emma Watson, (left) pictured with The Bling Ring director Sofia Coppola, shows off her diamond ear cuff.

Sofia Sanchez Barrenechea, an art director and girl about town, likens the bad-girl Repossi ear cuff she has been wearing to "adding a leather jacket to your look."

When Ryan Storer launched his jewellery label last year, his first item was a crystal ear cuff - and as his online store suggests, they've been selling out ever since.

Khouri was an original champion of the now ubiquitous ear cuff: 'I know it's a trend now,' she says of the piece that she first tackled a decade ago. '

TRENDSPOTTING: Emma Watson who stars in The Bling Ring wore a Repossi ear cuff at the Cannes Film Festival.

The ear cuff was also seen at the autumn/winter '13/'14 runways at Dries Van Noten and at the spring/summer '13 collection of Rodarte, and were prevalent at the punk-themed Met Gala.

A one-time actor who lives in Cambridge, Mass., and occasionally sports an earcuff, Mr. Egleson says he is struck by the contrast of wealth and poverty in New York, which "is tuned up to a pitch unlike other cities," he says.

Ear hook earrings - A large hook like the fish hook that is big enough to hook and hang over the whole ear and dangles.