An apparatus for piercing earlobes which comprises a pair of elongated, hand-held, parallel bars that can be moved towards and away from each other while an earlobe is positioned between the bars adjacent an end thereof. At that same end, one of the bars mounts an axially movable plunger to which an earlobe piercing stud can be attached. A compression spring drives the plunger and therewith the stud towards the second bar for piercing the ear. First and second levers are positioned for actuation by the same hand holding the piercing apparatus for retracting or cocking the plunger and for releasing it to pierce the earlobe. The second bar includes a recess into which a clip can be inserted which has an aperture for frictionally engaging the stud and retaining the stud to the earlobe after the latter has been pierced. The recess aligns the aperture with the axis of the plunger and a flat leaf spring is mounted to the second bar to bias the clip into the recess and retain it therein in its properly aligned position. The extent to which the two bars can be moved towards each other is adjustable.