It's been awhile (almost 15 years) since I've gotten a piercing. Before we all really knew better, I had gotten my lobes and helix pierced with a gun at the store everyone used to go to that starts with a C... I've been dying for a conch piercing and happened to walk by the Studs in UTC one night. I got to thinking and a month later (after watching a ton of videos on TikTok of the place) I booked an appointment. The shop is SO cute. The wait, with an appointment, was minimal. The staff was so friendly, and Marissa, the piercer, was so sweet. She was also fast! The conch was a quick pinch and that was it. It's healing easily with next to no pain and I'm obsessed with the placement of it. I also asked about increasing the size of my well-healed Helix. The gun I had used so long ago was most likely a 20g, but I really wanted the 18g so I could use the typical Flatbacks. I asked Marissa and she was amazing and gave me options. She ended up using a taper and she got an 18g flatback in there and now it just needs to reheal! It was sore to start, of course, but 4 days later and there's no pain! So worth it and so happy it's correct now. I'm already planning to go back for second lobes and a constellation on both sides when these heal enough as a bday present to myself. Love studs! I'll be back in a few days to get some clickers for my current lobes. Their jewelry options are adorable! read more

STUDS - New Conch piercing and Studs corrected my old, healed Helix that was too small of a gauge - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

I had Robert. He was so sweet and informative. Really helped me get comfortable with my 2nd precising. Will be back to change my post and maybe in the future to get my 3rd! read more

Really pleased with my results!! Considering I had zero forethought, was just walking by after a movie (though looking for a distraction), I can't believe I lucked out by getting Jamie. She was quick, friendly, and professional. Explained everything concisely and was patient with me as I saw lights flashing by immediately after, LOL. Guess I was more scared than I thought. The last time I had my ears pierced was with a gun, boom boom and done. When they said they only offered needle piercings here, I started fearing the pain of a slow needle going through, though good distraction from what was on my mind??! Anyway, my imagination got the best of me, therefore the tiny white lights flashing by....ZERO PAIN!!!!!! Not only no pain, it was quick and now 3 days later, all I can say is that it never got inflamed. I left practically normal and it never swelled nor turned red. I even bought a piercing pillow and never used it. I can sleep on my ear without a problem. It really feels like I didn't even get pierced other than the fact that I've got MORE BLING now. I'm attribute zero problems to Jamie's technique & BUYING the SALINE CAN to clean 3 times a day. Don't skimp, get the saline for $12. From what I remember, the gun actually left my ear lobes completely red and swollen, and easily infected for over a month. This needle method is sooooo much better!!!!! The store is clean, well organized, with friendly staff, and offer solid titanium posts, gold, and lab created diamonds. Highly recommend! read more

STUDS - Added a lil one. Thanks, JAMIE - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

Such an easy and quick process! My best friend set up an appointment for us to get our ears pierced, and the staff were so welcoming and patient! We hadn't decided on where we wanted our piercings, but when we did, they made sure to take a look at our ear anatomy to ensure it would be safe and doable. - PARKING - Free 2 hours at UTC mall, then you pay after that! - SERVICE/ENVIRONMENT - The shop itself is quite small, with a little display desk area for their studs and also where they do the check in/out process. The back has a few rooms where a bench is set up, along with their cabinets for all their supplies. Everything looked very sanitary as it should, and they also made an effort to wipe down everything after each person. Our piercer was very thorough in talking through all the steps, even the prep work, which I could see calming nervous customers down. She was very gentle and made the process quick and as harmless as possible. I definitely would recommend coming here if you're looking to get a piercing! read more

Love STUDS! Was looking for a reliable shop for an ear piercing and their system is very straightforward. It was quick, clean, piecer was very friendly, loved the earring options too. Piercing has healed very well. Located in the UTC mall, parking is free the first two hours. read more

Went to Studs yesterday, the store is very cute and my piercer, Jamie, was so sweet and did an amazing job! I will be going back.

This was a spur of the moment impulse piercing! The staff were friendly and service was quick! The space is very clean, there are small individual areas for piercing. Waivers and receipts are all digital. I was helped with jewelry selection and questions about the process were all answered. Quick and easy! Excited for my next visit and more piercings. read more

Came back here for a downsize and another two piercings. This time everything went super well. It was a pretty busy day for them but they were staffed and everyone was super helpful and friendly. Got pierced by Jaime this time, she was great! She walked me through each step and gave me thorough after care instructions. Welcoming vibe this time around, and no one giving attitude to customers or their peers. $50 for two piercings + whatever jewelry you pick. Looking forward to my next visit! read more

Came here as walk ins for piercings on my birthday. Everyone was helpful. They only do ears here, but anywhere you can imagine on the ear. My friend and I got our conch and lobes pierced. It's been a week out and healing nicely. Looking forward to them healing so I can get more piercings. read more

I got my midi helix pierced here about 3 months ago on my birthday. I was given a date to return on the after care paper, so I made the drive from Palm Springs to SD. The piercer was kind and polite so for that reason I scribbled out the name for safety reasons & to be respectful. However, when I arrived a piercer checked my piercing and it wasn't ready to be resized. Maybe it's partially my fault for not realizing it would take time for the initial healing stage, but it was just a major inconvenience for me to come out here to get disappointed. read more

STUDS - Aftercare paper - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

I did a walk in on a Monday with concerns of getting my almost closed messed up 1 ear piercing fixed and Gerard helped me right away. He let me know with confidence that he would make it right and helped pick out an earring to match my left earring. His work station was clean and organized. He didn't even knock off or accidentally hit my hearing aid when perching my ear. He made it quick and not so painful, really friendly and nice to talk to. He gave clear instructions on cleaning and when to return. Ask for Gerard and he will surely take care of all your piercings needs! Great job Gerard!! read more

Great service from Alec who gave me all the info I needed for my repiercing and Moe who provided the service. Totally recommend.

The most valuable thing to me was the cute earring selection!! Also the piercing placement recommendation based on your ear shape and size. The private piercing rooms were nice as well. Spent about $200 out the door with a cartilage piercing, cleaning solution and single earring. read more

I'm shocked how this place more than exceeded my expectations! I did not expect much for a place located at the mall. Don't get it twisted though! This ain't no Claire's! I went in just to get some jewelry and came out w/ a piercing! I wanted to change out my forward helix jewelry for a piercing I had recently done at a "reputable" tattoo/ piercing shop. I was unhappy how concealed this piercing was and thought just a change of jewelry might make me like it more. The piercer came out and spoke to me. She even made sure she had gloves on before examining my piercing to see if it was in any condition to change out the jewelry. She let me know she wanted to give me her honest opinion that the piercing was done in a very awkward area. I agreed w/ her since this did not look like a forward helix I've ever seen before. It was not really towards the front but more tucked away in a spot where u couldn't really see it and in a position that kept catching my hair. Well Liv (was her name) pierced me w/ a fresh forward helix piercing that I'm in love with and the jewelry is so cute! I was also shocked how much more reasonable their prices were compared to a tattoo/ piercing shop. They don't nickel and dime u either for the post or flat back like other places that charged me and never disclosed this in their pricing. She also changed out a couple of my other piercings for free since I paid for the piercing service. I just want to go on and on how amazing this place is and how top notch the service is starting w/ the associate at the counter. So glad I came here on a whim. My new piercing spot! Used to go to, rhymes w/ "Blabsolute," in the clairemont mesa area, but no more. This is a legit piercing spot that does several different cartilage piercings and they have a whole slew of jewelry at different price points. They even carry 14k. If you are thinking about getting a piercing done don't hesitate to check Studs out! read more

I just went in and they were so rude and judgmental and literally said to my friend that her tattoo "wasn't the worst thing she'd seen but definitely wasn't good" and it was $53 for my friend just to change her piercing !!? Literally awful so overpriced too Mejuri is sm better and the piercer is so nice. read more

Gerard changed my piercing and did such a great job. He is so kind and boosts your self confidence about you and your decisions. Alec was so nice and helped me pick out the perfect earrings and add ons. Thank you!! They both helped my mom too and Gerard helped my mom pick out the perfect pieces. Hope they can open a location in Hawaii (specifically Oahu please!) read more

STUDS - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

Went to studs and had an amazing experience. Staff was great, clean place, and lots of jewelry options... I had Mo as my piercer and she was so nice. The process was quick and easy. Highly Recommend coming here if you want to give your ears some style ;) read more

Had a great experience getting my ear pierced at this shop! I booked an appointment online and once I got to the store the process was seamless. Shout out to Bryce who did such a wonderful job on my piercings! read more

jaime and lauryn were amazing! lauryn customer service was top tier and gave her honest opinion while doing so. Jaime was perfect as piercer and was very patient. both of them were funny and great to be around, gained a loyal customer read more

Super easy to book (online) and select what my son wanted when we arrived. Bryce was very friendly and extremely safe and clean with his prep. Much more convenient than going to a combo tattoo/piercing shop like I've done in the past. I should have chosen another one for myself! LOL read more

Gerard at Studs is amazing, extremely professional, Very personable and does a thorough consultation before piercing. I will definitely be back and when I do, I will be asking for Gerard! read more

BEST PLACE TO GET PIERCED IN ALL OF SAN DIEGO!!!! I take a new friend every time I go & they all cannot stop raving about it! Won't go anywhere else!! read more

Bought clicker earrings two days ago. One of them fell off the SAME DAY even tho I heard the click!! $52 for some cheap earrings

What a great experience! From start to finish I was so impressed with the process. I was a bit hesitant at first thinking it's gonna be a rushed service but it was quick without compromise. My sister and I came together and she was the one who mentioned coming here (I'm more a tattoo girly than piercings so I wasn't really sure what to look for) but after reading g over reviews I felt confident that it would be worth a try. Most of the great reviews were for Gerard which I was hoping we would get since we did a walk in appointment and the inverse was on my side! Gerard is so worth the hype and reviews. He made the whole experience so comfortable! While I still had my nerves, he was professional, explaining everything and quick. He's also knowledgeable about ear curation and was already recommending other piercings for my anatomy and based on the flat helix I got done. If were to get any more piercings I would come back and request him for sure. My sister got her tragus which is a painful piercing but she was also happy with how quick he was with the piercing minimizing the piercing. It's been a week and our piercings are healing really well. I did order a piercing pillow since they were out but their saline spray is also helpful for the healing and application. 10/10 and have recommended to my clients already who love piercings. Also in store they have a good selection but cute ones sell quickly! I initially wanted the hot pink titanium heart but upgraded to the twinkle and my sister got the titanium butterfly which I think I will switch to once I am ready to change out jewelry! read more

STUDS - 14k twinkle stud, flat helix piercing by Gerard - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

Pretty good! Good staff and they are very gentle to do the piercings! Moe was my piercer and she was very kind and patient, and told me every details for aftercare. Highly recommend this place. read more

Make sure you are not in a hurry when you come here. There always seems to be a line. The salon is nice with decent "fashion" jewelry options. I went hoping for some titanium options but was disappointed to not find many. I still had someone change out my forward helix, conch, and rook with some fun pieces. I wish I could remember her name because she was super patient, nice, and offered suggestions. I would definitely come here if you are nervous about changing your own jewelry. However, if you want lots of nice titanium piece options that will last a long time and you're comfortable changing your own stuff, I would suggest Amazon. read more

I always come here for all my piercing needs and Gerard is the best! He's one of most friendly and knowledgeable piercers I've been to. I fully trust his work and guidance! read more

My friend and I received a warm greeting from the young woman who checked us in as soon as we arrived. She explained the piercing process thoroughly, helped me pick an appropriate earring for my helix piercing, and the proper way to care for the piercing site afterwards. Jamie took me back to the room to get me ready for the piercing and did an amazing job explaining each step of the way, including picking the best site for the helix piercing, how to breathe through the process, and answering any questions I had. She was very professional, thorough, and kind. While it was very easy to make an appointment online, my only criticism of STUDS is that there is not a direct line that you can call if you have questions or want to speak to someone at the particular site where you will be going. I sent a question online and never received an answer before my appointment. That is not the fault of this STUDS at UTC. It seems to be the policy of the parent company. read more

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Wonderful service, and really nice workers. As well as a very clean station. I feel so cutesie now. read more

I had a wonderful experience at Studs. I went in for a daith piercing. Did an anatomy check with the head piercer and was told my ear was too shallow. Loved these honesty. Discussed other options and decided on getting my conch pierced. My piercer was Mel. She was AMAZING. I am 5 days in after my piercing and have not had a single issue. I saw in the reviews someone mentioning how pricey it is. On the studs website there is a price estimator. I appreciate good quality jewelry and a good piercing experience so it's worth the price. Already planning my next piercings. read more

STUDS - Conch piercing - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

Gerard was amazing!! His patience and suggestions was very much appreciated. Friendly and helpful. I went out feeling very satisfied and happy with my new earrings and new look! Thank you Gerard and Alec. Customer service is awesome! read more

STUDS - Changed forward helix, the hoop, rook on the other ear and tragus - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

To the woman who greeted us at the front yesterday 6/25 (didn't catch her name) needs to work on her customer service. My group and I had 3 different encounters with her where she had a tone and gave us a dirty look. If you don't like your job figure it out!!! Other than that, Jess who did our piercings made the experience overall better. She was so sweet and comforting during the whole process and we would definitely recommend her. While I was unsure on the location I wanted the piercing, she didn't pierce until I was sure of what I wanted and helped me decide the placement. Very patient and helpful. Thank you Jess!! read more

STUDS - helix piercing - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

Was able to walk right in and get a new piercing and jewelry change with Gerard. He was super friendly and did a great job! Would definitely recommend read more

Gerard was amazing! He helped my friend get her piercings today. The whole staff was very friendly and helpful with the whole process. She was a little nervous but Gerard made the environment very calm and provided excellent service and was very communicative when walking through the steps of the piercing process. We will definitely be back to be pierced by him again! Thank You Gerard! See you soon :) read more

I had Gerard as my piercer and he was amazing. I wasn't sure if I could get my double lobes pierced because of the placement of my firsts but he was nice enough to do a consultation when I went with my boyfriend to get his done and it looked so good. I wasn't sure very comfortable and so happy I got mine down. I can't recommend Gerard enough he's really nice and friendly. Go request him when you get yours done read more

STUDS - Ear piercing - Jewelry Near Me - San Diego, California

Had piercings that had been closed for decades. Came in thinking they would need to be pierced again. Gerard was incredible and worked absolute magic. Highly recommend. Painless and super friendly even though I absolutely hate needles. read more

Gerard is the best - ask for him he has a dental touch:) IF you are scared don't be he is amazing read more

Great service, Gerard helped me out and got my ears pierced quick and easy. 10/10 recommend to get your ears pierced here

Gerard did such a wonderful job on my lobe piercings, it was so painless & easy! The experience was quick even with customers ahead of me & I'll be back for sure. read more

I took my daughter here for her second ear piercing. This place is amazing. Everyone was friendly, helpful and welcoming. Her piercer, Moe was fantastic. I would highly recommend this place for any ear piercing needs. read more