Earring Backs are such a shame.
A Cheap Shame!
People spend big bucks for Diamond Stud Earrings, then 2 weeks later they lose them. Why? Because of those cheap crappy Earring Backs that jewelers put on them!
You know the kind, the friction ones that push on and pull off? What a waste! See picture! (I'm sure you've also had your earring backs go on sideways like the Yellow Gold one shown too!) Cheap things won't do a bit of good. You might as well toss your earrings out in the yard right now! Because with those backs, they're history!
Friction Backs
Friction Earring Backs actually come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Anywhere from small, which are cheap and weak, to large, which are heavier and stronger. The small light-weight earring backs should be renamed "Gonna lose me!" The medium ones "Gonna last 6 months!" And the heavy ones "Gonna try to stick around!"
Normal friction push-on backs are the cheapest backs to get. That's why most Jewelers and Earring vendors push them on you. The heavy friction backs on the other hand, do work better. They actually can last for years. I have a Diamond Earring Stud with a heavy push-on back that I've had for 7 years now and I've only had to replace the back once!
Why do Earring Backs need to be Replaced?
Because the metal posts and backs wear down over time. They lose their tension. Soon your earrings will droop, dangle and drop down the drain. I would advise getting your earrings checked regularly at a jeweler just to make sure they're tight and durable.
Most people will do one thing once they buy a brand new pair of earrings... Switch the earring backs immediately! Get durable ones put on. Especially if they are expensive earrings. A lot of people choose screw-backs. Screw-back Earrings are like a nut and bolt. The earring back actually screws down a threaded post. Lot's of women swear by these. I would think it would drive me nuts, because the earring backs would rotate and loosen by themselves. You'd always have to keep tightening them again. Plus real screw-back earrings normally have a thicker post that doesn't feel so comfortable in the ear. It's thicker because it has threads running down the post.
And then there's Partial Screw-Back Earrings! Read on...