You love the look of a septum ring but cannot decide whether to commit to a piercing, or you are already pierced and want something better than the plain steel ring it came with. A septum ring can be worn two ways: a clip-on that grips the soft base of the nose with no piercing at all, or a pierced ring that passes through the septum and needs a professional piercer and proper healing. Try the look with a clip-on first; pierce once you know you will wear it.
This guide is for women (and men, since every septum ring in our current range is unisex) who want an honest comparison. It covers where the septum ring sits in Indian tradition, how clip-on and pierced compare, how to fit a clip-on so it stays put, and how to look after silver in or on your nose.
In short
- A clip-on septum ring needs no piercing; it grips the columella, the soft strip of skin at the base of the nose between the nostrils.
- A pierced septum ring needs a professional piercer, and you should not change the first jewellery until your piercer says the piercing has healed.
- Our five septum designs weigh about 1 to 2 g and each comes as a clip-on or for a pierced septum.
- Septum rings are part of South Asian tradition, worn in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, often alongside a nostril ring.
- 925 sterling silver is 92.5% silver; a silver-tone ring is not silver.
What is a septum ring?
A septum ring is a ring worn through or clipped onto the septum, the wall between the two nostrils, so that it shows just below the tip of the nose; it can be a simple circle, a horseshoe or a shaped design such as a crescent or a point.
It is not new, and it is not only a Western fashion piercing. The Wikipedia article on nose piercing notes that the septum piercing is often worn with nostril piercings in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, that in the hill regions of Nepal it is known as the bulaki, and that Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancers wear a septum ornament called the bullakku. The same article notes that in Nepal many older women still wear both a septum ring and a left nostril ring.
Clip-on vs pierced septum ring
A well-fitted clip-on looks much the same as a pierced ring from a conversational distance. The difference is in commitment, comfort over long hours, and what you can do while wearing it.
| Clip-on septum ring | Pierced septum ring | |
|---|---|---|
| How it stays on | Gentle pressure of a slightly open ring on the columella | Passes through the piercing |
| Commitment | None; take it off in seconds | A piercing by a professional, then a healing period |
| Best for | Trying the look, weekends, functions, workplaces with dress codes | Daily wear once healed |
| How long to wear | A few hours at a time | Like any healed piercing, on your piercer's advice |
| Sleeping, showering, exercise | Take it off | Follow your piercer's advice |
| Changing designs | Any time | Only after healing, and ideally with your piercer's help the first time |
| Our options | All five designs come as clip-ons | All five designs come for a pierced septum |
How to fit a clip-on septum ring so it stays
Most clip-ons that fall off are simply sitting in the wrong place. Do this in front of a mirror with clean, dry hands and a clean, dry nose, because moisturiser or oil makes the ring slide.
- Hold the ring by its two ends with the design facing outwards.
- Look at the gap between the ends. It should be slightly narrower than your columella, so it grips. If it is far too narrow, ease it open a fraction with your fingertips, never with pliers.
- Slide the ring up from below onto the columella, close to the base of the nose rather than high inside it.
- Press the ends together very gently until it holds. It should feel snug, not pinched.
- Check in the mirror that the design hangs straight and centred. Move it a millimetre forward or back until it sits level.
If it slides, close the gap by a hair. If it pinches, open it by a hair. Silver bends, but bending the same spot again and again weakens any metal, so make small changes and stop once it fits. If you are unsure, message us before you start bending. Take a clip-on off before you sleep, shower, swim or exercise. If you would rather start with the side of the nose, our guide to silver nose pins covers wire and clip-on nose pins too.
Wearing a septum ring in a pierced septum
I am a jeweller, not a piercer, so this section is short on purpose. Have the piercing done by a qualified professional piercer, and follow their aftercare exactly. The Association of Professional Piercers advises leaving the initial jewellery in place for the entire healing process and seeing a qualified piercer for any jewellery changes during healing. It also warns that a piercing may seem healed before it actually is.
Once your piercer is happy that the piercing has healed, a silver septum ring is a lovely way to make it yours. Before you order, ask your piercer what wire thickness and diameter suit your piercing, and message us if you want to check that one of our pierced options matches.
Our septum ring designs
Our family has worked with silver since 1985, and we make every septum ring in our current range by hand in Jaipur, in 925 sterling silver stamped 925. Each design is unisex and available either as a clip-on or for a pierced septum. The weights below are the approximate figures on each product page; handmade pieces vary slightly.
For a quiet everyday look
The Chandrika Arc Septum Ring is a granular-finish crescent moon of about 1 g with an open-ended shape that sits lightly. The Noor Septum Nose Ring layers two hoops with delicate beaded detailing, also about 1 g. Both are small enough for an office and still clearly silver.
For a sharper line
The Vira V-Point Septum Ring is a V-shaped ring of about 1.2 g, with braided detailing along each arm softening the angle. It is the one I would suggest if you want the septum to be the first thing people notice.
For devotion
The Mahadev Unisex Septum Ring (about 1 g) and the Damru Unisex Septum Ring (about 2 g) carry Shiva motifs. They are devotional designs, worn as a reminder and a statement of faith, not as a promise of anything.
Caring for a silver septum ring
Silver in or on your nose meets skin oil, sweat, face wash and moisturiser every day, so it tarnishes faster than a ring kept in a drawer. Tarnish is silver reacting with sulphur compounds to form silver sulphide. It is chemistry, not a defect, and it is how real silver behaves; our guide on why real silver tarnishes explains more.
Wipe a clip-on with a soft silver cloth after wearing and keep it in its pouch; our guide to storing silver jewellery explains how air and humidity speed up tarnish. For a ring in a healed piercing, follow your piercer's cleaning advice and do not use silver dips or polishes on jewellery while it is in your body; take it out to clean it, then rinse and dry it before wearing it again.
What I tell people who ask me about septum rings
Wear a clip-on for a few weeks before you pierce. Wear it to work, to a family lunch, on a video call. If you keep reaching for it, book the piercer. If it stays in the pouch, you have saved yourself a piercing you did not really want.
And whichever way you wear it, insist on knowing the metal. Too many septum rings sold online are listed as "silver colour" or "silver-tone", which tells you the colour and nothing about what it is made of. A ring that sits on your face all day should be the real metal, stamped 925.
Frequently asked questions
Does a clip-on septum ring hurt?
It should not. A well-fitted clip-on grips the columella with light pressure, so it feels snug rather than tight. If it pinches, ease the ends apart very slightly with your fingertips and reposition it lower on the columella. Wear it for a few hours at a time and take it off if it starts to feel uncomfortable.
Can people tell a septum ring is a clip-on?
Usually not at a normal conversational distance, as long as it fits well and sits centred. The difference shows mainly up close or if the ring shifts. Fitting it on a clean, dry nose and positioning it low on the columella keeps it straight, which is what makes it look like a piercing.
When can I change the jewellery in a new septum piercing?
Only when your piercer says the piercing has healed. The Association of Professional Piercers advises leaving the initial jewellery in place for the entire healing process and seeing a qualified piercer for any jewellery change during healing. Ask your piercer what size suits you before buying a new ring.
Can men wear a septum ring?
Yes. Septum rings have no gender, and every septum design in our current range is unisex. The V-shaped and Shiva-motif designs suit a bolder look, while the crescent and double hoop designs are quieter. Each one comes as a clip-on or for a pierced septum.
Choosing your septum ring
The right septum ring is the one that matches your commitment: a clip-on to try the look and wear it when you choose, a pierced ring once a professional piercer has done the work and the piercing has healed. In both cases, make it real 925 sterling silver. Real Silver. Made to be worn every day.
