Black Yi Girl in Xichang

Earring
With ears pierced when they were still babies, girls of the Black Yi sub-group of the Yi ethnic minority would start hanging a small conch or a string of red beads from the ear pierces after a ceremony held on a sheep-shearing day (the Yi people usually choose days of auspicious meanings to sheer the sheep), and after a twin braids-combing ceremony on their 15th birthday, they are allowed to wear earrings made of jade or silver, sometimes with beads pendant, most of ancient Han-style.
Apart from the earlobe piercing just as girls of the Han ethnic group usually do, the Yi girls would have helix piercing for a long string of beads made of copper, silver, etc, which is often long enough to reach the bust, or dangle beside the temples after passing the brim of hats. This is the most special ear adornment for the Yi girls.
Quote from page 30 in A Research Report on the Yi People in Xikang by Zhuang Xueben