What Types of Earring Backs are Best?
One of the most common questions that we get from people who are buying a pair of diamond stud earrings, is what kind of earring backs are best? And by best they usually mean the most secure because they are making a sizeable investment buying a matched pair of diamonds from Brian Gavin and they want to do everything possible to ensure that their earrings stay in their ears.
There are basically three types of earring backs and posts:
- Friction earring backs
- Screw backs which are threaded
- La Poussette locking backs
Friction back posts and earring backs:
The most common type of earring backs are friction backs which slide easily on and off of straight posts which have a small notch located at the end of them which help to hold the earring nut in place. The upside to friction back earring posts and backs are that they are cost effective and easy to put on and take off. The downside is that the earring nuts can loosen up over time and lose the tension which keeps the earrings in place in the ears.
The structure of friction back posts and earring backs is clearly visible in this photograph of our 3 prong Martini style diamond earring settings.
Screw back earring posts and nuts:
This photograph of our four prong basket style earrings features screw back posts and nuts which increase the odds that the earrings will stay in your ears. Placing screw back earrings in your ears is as easy as sliding the threaded posts through your earring holes, and then carefully threading on the earring nuts until they set comfortably against your ear lobe. Screw back earrings might take a little longer to place in your ears; however they provide much more security than standard friction back earrings. By the way, there is a right and wrong way to “screw on” screw back earrings, the right way has already been explained, the wrong way is to push the nuts on over the threads, which will strip them.
La Poussette Locking Earring Backs:
The most secure form of earring post and backs are La Poussette locking earring backs, which look very similar to standard friction posts because they are smooth and not threaded like screw back posts, but which feature a locking earring back that locks into place into a small notch located near the end of the earring post. La Poussette locking earring backs are easy to use, simply slide them on to the earring post and then pull them back towards the end of the earring post until you hear them “click” into place. To unlock the earring backs, simply press down on the two tabs which are located on the earring back, which unlocks the mechanism and slide the earring backs off your ears.
Each style of earring back has a specific purpose and provides a different level of cost and security, the choice as to which style of earring backs to go with is definitely a matter of personal preference. The size and carat weight of the diamonds is also a consideration, the larger the diamonds, the more the weight of the earring which holds it will be, and thus the more tension that is required to hold the diamond studs up in your ears…
While friction back posts and nuts may be preferable for diamonds of smaller carat weights, you might prefer screw back or La Poussette back earrings for diamonds of larger carat weight. Feel free to consult with the ladies in our customer service department regarding the different types of earring backs that are available from Brian Gavin Diamonds, most of them have had the opportunity to wear all three styles of earring backs and can share their experience with you.
