I tried getting a professional piercer to pierce my ears and then use these earrings, but they wouldn't allow it, so I had a friend pierce my ears for me. The ends of the earrings are pretty sharp, so after using the needle to pierce the ear, the earrings went in pretty easily. They've been in my ears for over 6 weeks and there is absolutely no discomfort. The crystal is very shiny, and very pretty. The stud is small, but if you have multiple piercings, it will look great on your ear.