What Type of Backings Will Make Your Jewelry Look More Brilliant!

When you are deciding which stud earring designs to add to your collection, do you ever
consider the type of backings to be used? A common question a lot of people have is “Which is the
best type of earring backing?”, to which the answer is that there are definitely more secure types
than others.

Choose Your Stud Earrings with the Perfect Type of Backing to Look More Brilliant!

Generally, it all comes down to your desired level of security or personal aesthetics.

There are various types of stud earrings closures available in the market. In this article,
we’ll talk about the different kinds of backings and their styles, functions as well as their pros and
cons. By the end, you will be able to determine which closure suits your earring designs the most!

Studs can be divided into those that belong to non-precious jewelry, and those made of precious metals. Also, by the type of backings of the earring on the ear.

The Three Types of Stud Earring Backings

First, let’s go over your backing options for stud earrings. There are three types of earring backing for stud earrings: push backs, screw backs, and secure lock backs.

1. Push Backs

Earrings that are called pin earrings, for which a butterfly clasp or disc clip is used. This backing is the least reliable and loosens over time. The pin can be smooth or with grooves that better fixate the backing. Recently, silicone or combined fasteners have been used in jewelry, the inner part of which is made of silicone, and the outer part is made of metal.

Push-backs, also sometimes called friction backs, are the most common type of earring back. This type of earring back simply slides onto a straight earring post and holds your earring in place through the use of friction. Posts designed to be used with pushbacks have a notch at the post, which helps keep the backing secure.

Push-backs are very easy to take on and off, and they’re quite affordable. They’re also a small, hard-to-see type of earring back, which makes them a great option for those with smaller earlobes. However, push-backs are the least secure type of stud earring back. Push-backs can sometimes loosen over time, which causes them to lose some of the important tension that holds your earring firmly in place.

2. Screw Backs

Screw backs are a type of earring back that screws into place. The lock is screwed onto a threaded pin to secure the earring in the ear. The lock-in such earrings can be either open or closed.

Earrings with a closed lock are preferably used for children’s jewelry, as it reliably protects the baby’s delicate skin behind the ear from damage by the earring pin. Also, this type of earring backing protects the skin of adults from damage during sleep. Such a clasp securely holds the jewelry in the ear and almost completely eliminates the possibility of losing it. The advantage of screw locks on studs is that they can also serve as a decorative element. Screw studs are mainly large or double-sided studs with decor on both sides.

Screw backs are a smaller, more discreet type of earring back, like push-backs. So they’re also a great option for those with smaller earlobes. But screw-backs have an advantage over push-backs: they’re more secure. It takes a bit longer to put on a screw back than to put on a push back since it needs to be carefully screwed on each time. And it is important to be delicate when screwing on a screw back, so you don’t strip your earring posts.

Many people find that this small bit of extra time is well worth it for that extra sense of security, especially for stud earrings that are larger or more valuable.

While screw-backs are a great option for many people, it’s important to note that screw-backs may not be a good fit for those with arthritis or mobility problems. If you have trouble grasping small objects, screw-backs are generally not recommended.

3. Secure Lock Backs

Secure lock backs are the most secure type of stud earring back. When you slide these earring backs on, they securely lock into place through the use of a double-grooved patented secure locking mechanism. Since secure lock backs are the most secure type of earring back, we generally recommend them for more valuable stud earrings.
Secure lock backs feature a large plastic disc that rests upon the earring, which can help make wearing a larger, heavier diamond or gemstone more comfortable. This large plastic disc also makes this type of earring back harder to lose. However, there’s one potential drawback to this large plastic disc. If you have small earlobes, it’s possible that this disc could show from the bottom of the sides.

The fastening method is not the only sign by which the studs can be divided. Classic studs have a beautiful front, and the retainer on the back of the ear usually looks rather modest and does not have a decorative function. But today often designers use this method. Two-sided studs are now in fashion, the back of which can also be decorated with precious or semi-precious stones, enamel, or the beautiful shape of the clasp itself.

Classic studs are small earrings without elongated elements, similar to small carnations. However, today there are many large and voluminous earrings with stud backings. They can be decorated with tassels, balls, or pendants. However,  it should also be considered that a too heavy front part will cause the lobe to lean back, so the front decor should be chosen as light as possible.

These earrings are made of gold, silver, and special jewelry alloys. Still, each material has pros and cons, which are better to be aware of when choosing jewelry.

Another Earring Back Consideration: Your Precious Metal

In addition to considering which type of earring back is best for you, you should consider which precious metal is best for your chosen style. Here are some notes on your precious options:

1. Silver

Metal with an affordable price and good appearance. Silver jewelry is equally well suited for women and men and children. The main advantage of such products is low cost combined with the nobility of metal and good appearance. Silver products are great for everyday use.

But silver products also have several disadvantages:

* Silver is a soft metal that needs frequent cleaning and polishing. Otherwise, silver items will fade and scratch rather quickly.
* A silver pin can accidentally bend and returning to its original appearance will no longer be easy. A good alternative is a rhodium-plated silver. Rhodium is the most resistant to scratching and tarnishing, a hard, noble metal from the platinum group. A thin layer of rhodium on the surface of the silver significantly increases the item’s resistance to tarnishing and scratching and increases the item’s strength.

2. Gold

More expensive materials for jewelry. Products from it are distinguished by a magnificent glossy sheen and warm color (this also applies to white gold). Gold jewelry is more durable and does not darken. Today there is a wide variety of shades of these products, depending on the alloy used. Thanks to unique components, jewelers create jewelry in white, yellow, pink, and even dark red colors. Gold jewelry is considered the safest, as it rarely causes allergic reactions. Perhaps the only drawback of gold jewelry is the high price.

3. Non-precious Jewelry Alloys

Usually copper-based alloys such as jewelry bronze or brass. Products from such alloys are stronger than silver but softer than gold.

Products made from such alloys occupy a vast niche in the jewelry market, as they are a cheap alternative to more expensive metals, with a similar appearance. Items made of them are covered with a layer of gold, silver, platinum, or rhodium, which gives them a similar appearance to items made of precious metals and excludes the contact of the base alloy with the skin. Such alloys can also be decorated with synthetic inserts or enamels and sometimes look no worse than precious metal jewelry.

The advantage of products made from non-precious jewelry alloys is their low cost and wide availability to consumers. The disadvantage is the fragility of the coating. Over time, the coating wears away, exposing the base alloy, which affects the product’s appearance and can provoke an allergic reaction at the point of contact with the product.

Recently, jewelry made from different metals has become popular. On the market, you can find earrings made of jewelry bronze, brass, pewter, and even plastic with a pin made of surgical steel or titanium. Such combinations open up huge possibilities for designers who can no longer worry about the contact of a non-precious alloy with human skin and embody their most bizarre ideas, not limited to precious alloys.

Also, rubber studs and earrings of various shapes and shades have appeared on the market. They do not cause allergies, but they cannot be fully called jewelry either. It’s more of a fashion accessory.

Type of Stud Earrings’ Inserts or Absence

As a rule, studs – carnations are decorated with one stone – an insert. Inserts can vary in color, shape, and type of cut – from a round with a classic cut to a fancy with a fancy cut. This is a universal solution because such decorations look concise and can be used daily.

Stud earrings with diamonds look elegant and modest. But there are also more budget options: pearls, topaz, ruby, garnet, cubic zirconia, emerald, amethyst, agate, mother-of-pearl, lapis lazuli, selenite, quartz, and amber.
Instead of one large insert, you can choose models with a scattering of inserts – plain or multi-colored stones.

Earrings without bets differ in material and an endless variety of shapes – from strict geometric (circle, ball, square, and triangle) to fantasy (skull, thorn, flower, animals). These earrings can be chosen for almost any life event, whether a rock concert, an interview for a new job, or a visit to relatives.

Final Thoughts

Today, stud earrings, decorated with enamel on one or both sides, are gaining more popularity. Bright or pastel colors, strict or funny, flat or voluminous. A wide selection will be able to satisfy both the creative youth and the conservative older generation. Bright colors and original designs of decorations in the form of unicorns, French fries, hamburgers, and favorite cartoon characters are especially liked by children. You can often find such asymmetric jewelry. And if you have several asymmetric pieces of jewelry in your wardrobe, you can combine them with each other, adding originality to your image.

To date, there is a vast selection of materials and designs of studs from the strict classic to the incredible creative. The main thing is to choose precisely the decoration that will bring pleasure to you!

We hope this guide has helped you decide which style of stud earring and type of earring backing is best for you. If you’re ready to find your perfect stud earrings (with your perfect type of backing), browse our full collection of gorgeous earrings.

P.S. Royi Sal Jewelry, a decades-long leader in silver jewelry design and manufacturing, invites you to download our latest magazine and profit from the exceptional jewelry designs at affordable prices you will find in the magazine. Click here to download it now.