Hoop earrings with a small figure set at the front are a compromise between a plain hoop and a detailed drop, and the honest limitation is that at 8 mm the detail can only go so far. Cast in silver, the Pixiu's head and curled body are legible; the individual claws and teeth that appear on the larger pendant versions are not, and we would rather say that than let the photograph imply otherwise.
The closure is a hinged snap — the hoop opens on a hinge and clicks shut — which is the easiest type to put on without a mirror. The hinge is the part that fails first on any hoop, so we use a solid one and advise taking them off before sleeping rather than wearing them as a permanent fixture.
Sold as a pair. Sterling is stamped inside the hoop.