RSS Feeds: Pet Peeves about Silver Earring Closures and Backs
Silver earrings are inexpensive and fun in so many styles that I can’t describe them all, but since I’m an avid earring wearer I have a few pet peeves and suggestions regarding which earring styles are best and which to avoid mostly pertaining to the way earrings fit into pierced ears and about how they close.
I am often frustrated when I find gorgeous silver designs that are handcrafted and inexpensive but they are attached to posts with butterfly clutch backs, open hook ear wires or even a French hook with nothing at all to secure them.
Post and Ball Closures
Diamond or plain silver stud earrings should be secured with a sterling silver or stainless steel post, and a tiny ball, that screws onto the post. All other earrings should be hinged or set onto J hoops.
Hinged and Hooplets
Hinged earring closures are the only ones that work for chandelier, drop and hoop earrings, in my humble opinion. Hinged closures are available in several different styles. The hooplet hinged closure is often used for sleepers, and they work like this: the silver hoop is almost a complete circle of metal except for a small space at the top that has a strong silver wire or thin metal bar that hinges on one side. The bar or wire is then passed through the pierced ear hole and secured by either looping to a small hook or being inserted into an opening inside the hoop itself. This creates a total circle that passes through the hole and has no opening at all once it is secured. These closures make it almost impossible to lose an earring.
J Hoop
The other style variant of the hinged closure is called a J hoop, which is an elongated hoop with a hinge that snaps onto itself when closed. These are the ultimate hoop, chandelier and drop earring closures because they encircle the ear totally but are not difficult to open and close like the wire hinge can sometimes be. This closure is used for high-end gemstone jewelry and diamond creations that would give the wearer a heart attack if one should be lost. However, there are many costume jewelry earring creations that use this closure; you just have to search a little longer.
Silver Wire Hooks
The other truly disastrous faux pas that jewelers are guilty of is making fabulous silver earrings and then attaching them to copper wire or copper plated silver wire hooks. The earring itself is silver and lasts forever with a little polishing, but the hook peals and turns my ear hole green, and makes my ears itch like crazy. I just don’t understand why designers go to all the trouble to make a quality silver earring and then not make the post or hoop or wire also from silver. The cost difference is miniscule and the comfort and durability is miles apart. So, since jewelers will do whatever it is they do, it’s up to us to buy what works. If you have some of same pet peeves as I have, then select your next silver earrings with hoop, hinged or J hoop closures and forget about searching for lost earrings.
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