We built this shape from pear-cut and marquise-cut stones instead of simple rounds. The different facets catch light in a less uniform way, so it has more of a flicker than a simple sparkle as you move. It’s a small detail that changes how the whole piece feels.

Four pear-cut stones point north, south, east, and west, creating a cross shape. Tucked into the corners between them are fans of three marquise-cut stones each. All the stones are held in place by fine gold prongs. The cluster is attached to a polished gold post with a small, flower-shaped flat back, designed to sit flush against the skin. It’s a dense, multi-faceted piece.

We make this piercing from solid 14k gold, not plated. It's an alloy of 58.3% pure gold, which means it has the rich colour of gold but is durable enough for a piece you'll wear constantly. It won't tarnish or discolour, even if you wear it in the shower. The post is internally threaded, so the smooth bar passes through your piercing and the decorative top screws into it. This protects the skin from being scraped by threads, making it much more comfortable to insert and remove.

• Material: 14k solid gold
• Post Length: 6.5 mm
• Post Thickness: 1.2 mm (16g)
• Closure: Internally threaded flat back
• Top Dimensions: 13 mm x 3 mm
• Sold as a single piece

The main reason to choose a flat back stud like this is comfort. Especially for cartilage piercings like the helix or tragus, there's no post jabbing you behind the ear when you sleep or talk on the phone. It just sits flush and you forget it's there.