Have you ever really stopped to notice the little wires your earrings hang from? Many people don’t care how their earrings are attached to their ears, but there are definate pros and cons to each variety. As a free service to my customers, I will switch any pair of earrings on my site to a different type of ear wire on request before shipping. Let’s take a look at the popular styles:
French hooks, also known as hook ear wires. This is the most common type of ear wire,Lampwork glass pendants, and the one you’ll see most often on earrings on my website. Advantages include light weight, many subtle variations of design, wide availability in various metals, and ease of use. The primary disadvantage of French hooks is the ease with which they can be lost, especially when used on light earrings. If you’re one of those people who seems to constantly lose earrings right off their ears, French hooks could be the culprit. I stock French hooks in sterling silver and gold fill and may at times stock yellow gold (available for an additional charge). White gold, yellow gold,Murano glass jewelry, surgical steel, copper, anodized aluminum, and niobium can be special ordered at additional cost.
Post or “stud” earrings. This is another popular style. A rod or post runs straight through the pierced ear and is secured with a metal “ear nut” on the back side of the ear. While many post earrings are small studs that do not dangle down from the ear, posts can also be used for dangle style earrings. They offer a reasonable compromise between security and safety; if snagged they will typically pull off the ear without tearing tissue, but they stay on much better than French hooks. Disadvantages include a tendancy to snag on clothing and come off (for instance when pulling a sweater off over your head), and discomfort if you sleep on your side wearing earrings (the ends of the posts may dig into your head). I stock sterling silver posts and can special order yellow gold and gold filled posts at additional cost. White gold may also be available depending on supplier stock.
Leverbacks. This is actually my favorite type of earwire for a number of reasons. They are the most secure, closing in a continuous loop, and thus very hard to lose. I highly recommend leverbacks for valuable earrings and for people who tend to lose their earrings. When worn,Dichroic glass jewelry, they are subtle and attractive, not detracting from the design of the earrings themselves. If you sleep wearing your earrings or like to leave your earrings in over long periods of time, leverbacks are by far the most comfortable and non-irritating. The only reason you don’t see more of them on my site is the fact that when photographed, they have an awkward kidney shape that people tend to dislike. When worn, you don’t see the kidney shape, just a subtle line. Because they are so secure, they could present a safety hazard if worn in situations where they could get snagged and potentially rip the ear lobe. Do not wear leverback where snagging is a possibility. I stock leverbacks in sterling silver and can special order gold filled and white and yellow gold at an additional cost.
Clip-ons. For those with unpierced ears, clip-on earrings are a viable solution. As someone with formerly unpierced ears, I remember the frustration of being limited to a small and often boring selection of clip-on earrings. For that reason, I stock sterling silver clips and can apply them to any pair of earrings in my shop other than soldered post earrings which cannot be converted. There is unfortunately an extra charge for this because the clips themselves are heavy and therefore considerably more expensive than the other common types of earwire. Clip-on earrings use pressure to attach to the ear and may grow painful after periods of time, especially if you are not used to wearing clip-on earrings. I stock them in sterling silver and can special order them in yellow gold; be forewarned that due to weight these will be very expensive in gold. I can also special order them in gold fill.Related subject article：
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