What gauge is a normal earring?

Typical earrings are gauged at either 18 or 20, depending on the particular piece of jewelry. Although gauge sizes can be as small as 00, 18 and 20 are the most common for new piercings so that a large amount of flesh is not removed from the lobe at once.

Once the ears have been pierced with standard-gauge earrings, the lobes can be stretched by gradually adding subsequently larger earrings and allowing the skin time to heal between enlargements. Taper rings are sometimes used to enlarge the openings over time by sliding the taper further through the hole in the earlobe.