Fashion’s favorite accessory, from the red carpet to the office, is the essential earring. No other accessory can make as much of an impact on your appearance. The right pair of earrings can light up your face, draw attention to your eyes, and set off your hair. A colorful gemstone earring, either contrasting or complementing the color or your clothes, is the fastest way to look put-together.

Although the design possibilities are endless, there are a few basic earring styles that belong in every well-dressed woman’s wardrobe.

Quietly elegant, these fashion basics can be worn with other jewelry--a strand of pearls, pendant, gold chain--or on their own. If you lean toward the classic, look for round studs of a quarter carat or more. The classic choices are pearls or diamonds, but don’t stop there. You should have at least one pair of colored gemstone studs in the color family you most often wear and maybe also one bright accent color. Updated shape and style variations include a variety of gemstone shapes. If you like tailored or clean-lined clothing, you might prefer your studs bezel set, with a smooth band of metal encircling the gem.

The quality of studs starts, of course, with the quality of the gem or pearl. Diamond studs generally are a lower quality stone than you might choose for a ring. For other gems and pearls, color is most important: this is what will give the small stud a big impact. It also can flatter your skin tone; make sure it’s a color that complements you. On the ear, clarity doesn’t matter as much because earrings are generally viewed from farther away than a ring.

The gem should be set squarely and securely in the prongs or bezel that holds it. There shouldn’t be any ragged edges and the stone shouldn’t move at all in its mounting. Check the back to make sure the clasp slides smoothly and squarely over the post and grips tightly. Platinum studs will usually have white gold backs since this kind of tension clasp doesn’t work as well in platinum. Some studs will have screw-on backs for extra security but this isn’t necessary unless they are really big diamonds, since it makes them more difficult to take on and off.

Depending on hoop size and style, you can look like Jennifer Lopez or Jennifer Anniston. Either way, hoops today are a wardrobe classic. For diva drama, look for hoops more than an inch in diameter. For a modern tailored look, hoops sized between a quarter and a dime will provide discreet glamour. Today, gemstone accents are giving hoops extra expression. Also look for reversible looks and hoops with stones set inside the curve as well as outside.

The comfort of hoops has a lot to do with their closure. If the hoops have a pivoting wire, make sure it is sturdy and won’t bend easily. Try clicking it into its place to make sure it closes securely. If your hoops are hinged, check that the two halves are aligned so that the clasp engages evenly.