A man will face court on Wednesday after he allegedly cut off part of a teenager's ear in a bizarre robbery attempt on the Gold Coast.

A 16-year-old boy and his male friend, 15, were walking at Varsity Lakes late on Monday night, when a man approached them, produced a gun, and demanded they hand over property.

The man then used a pair of scissors to cut off the bottom half of the 16-year-old's ear lobe before fleeing the scene, police allege.

On Tuesday night, police said they had charged an 18-year-old man with armed robbery, deprivation of liberty, common assault and one count of an act intended to cause grievous bodily harm, in relation to the incident.

The alleged attacker remains in custody, and will front Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning.