topic Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings in Jewelry

Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

wildcat fan — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 01:46:34 GMT

Last year I dropped one of the backs to my diamond earrings in the car. I still haven't found it! I called the jeweler who sold them to us and I was told that they no longer deal with that vendor. Since that jeweler is almost a thousand miles away, I tried a local jeweler to see if I could get a new back for the earring. The posts require a back that screws on.

They ordered a replacement back that was too small and then said they couldn't help me. (That took about 3 weeks!) I went to another jeweler. The lady took the earrings to the back room and returned a few seconds later telling me that my post snapped as soon as the jeweler picked up the earring! They said the other jeweler must have tried to strip the post to make the other back work. Then they said my platinum setting was just asking for trouble and recommended that I have new posts made out of gold for each stud. I said OK and finally got to wear my studs again, but it was sort of a pain because it would take a few minutes to screw on the backs because they were so tight. It would take about 5 minutes to put on a pair of earrings.

The jeweler said that this type of post will strip and need to be repaired often. I had owned the earrings for about 5 years before I lost the back and had never had any problems. Now it's been about 8 months since I had the repair and I'm concerned that the post is stripped again. One earring back does not screw all the way on and just glides back and forth once it gets close to my ear lobe. Since it's not a tight fit, the stud falls forward/downward. I've stopped wearing the earrings because I don't want to risk losing them.

Do you have any suggestions for a secure earring back? The studs are 3/4 carat each. The two jewelers I've met are supposedly the best in town. Is it normal to have to repair screw on posts so often? Would the Honora Happy Back work in my situation? I saw some at Amazon.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

SharkE — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 02:04:48 GMT

Seems like I saw Mary Beth present some gold backs one time. You might check in here and see if it pulls up something.. Usually the Q has that sort of thing.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

wildcat fan — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 02:25:58 GMT

On 1/25/2014 Sharke said:
Seems like I saw Mary Beth present some gold backs one time. You might check in here and see if it pulls up something.. Usually the Q has that sort of thing.

Thanks, Sharke!

I found J276119 (Oversized round discs). Reviews are positive.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

esmeraldagooch — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 03:26:22 GMT

Look up Protektor ear post and backs. Secure and easy to put on.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

Lavenderjunkie — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 03:36:28 GMT

wildcat: esmeraldagooch is very knowledgeable. She knows a lot about jewelry. Follow her advice, it's always good.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

Desi — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 03:47:18 GMT

I hate to recommend Tiffany's because they are so expensive. However, if you have one, I would check with them. You went from platinum which is much more expensive to 14 k gold which wears down faster, already not a good thing. A solid screw type back, not the cheap mass-produced ones, shouldn't wear out. My grandmother had screw type earrings that she wore her entire adult life, and they never wore out. Now they make some cheap ones (check Jewelry Television to see what I mean under "settings"). The threads end instead of being the entire length of the post. Thats why you can't tighten them snug to the ear, and they can flop forward.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

wildcat fan — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 04:24:13 GMT

I looked up the Protektor. This looks like what I need. I was told that the original platinum setting was by Stuller. For whatever reason, Stuller discontinued my original earring back so that's why the jeweler had a difficult time finding a replacement for just the one earring.

Desi, I thought it was odd for them to recommend that I change posts from platinum to gold. This jeweler said that gold would be more durable for an earring back. The other jeweler stripped the platinum post to the point that it just snapped so I had to have a new post anyway.

I appreciate all of your responses! These are my only earrings with a screw on post, so I was at a loss as to what to do.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

esmeraldagooch — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 15:06:07 GMT

The posts are notched twice for more protection against loss.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

terrier3 — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 15:17:30 GMT

On 1/25/2014 Desi said:
I hate to recommend Tiffany's because they are so expensive. However, if you have one, I would check with them. You went from platinum which is much more expensive to 14 k gold which wears down faster, already not a good thing. A solid screw type back, not the cheap mass-produced ones, shouldn't wear out. My grandmother had screw type earrings that she wore her entire adult life, and they never wore out. Now they make some cheap ones (check Jewelry Television to see what I mean under "settings"). The threads end instead of being the entire length of the post. Thats why you can't tighten them snug to the ear, and they can flop forward.

I inherited my aunt's Tiffany studs with screw backs.

They are 40 years old and look like new. If you have good stones and wear these earrings often, I suggest you have them re-set by Tiffany.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

violann — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 15:41:32 GMT

I have a very pretty pair of very old screw backs in a Platinum setting that my dad gave me. After having constant trouble with one of the backs, I had them converted to lever backs by a very good local jeweler. I get much more wear out of them now and they actually "pop" more than they did on my ear lobe. I would not have wanted to change the square setting because it's fairly unusual.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

serenity4ever — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 19:10:05 GMT

On 1/26/2014 terrier3 said:
On 1/25/2014 Desi said:
I hate to recommend Tiffany's because they are so expensive. However, if you have one, I would check with them. You went from platinum which is much more expensive to 14 k gold which wears down faster, already not a good thing. A solid screw type back, not the cheap mass-produced ones, shouldn't wear out. My grandmother had screw type earrings that she wore her entire adult life, and they never wore out. Now they make some cheap ones (check Jewelry Television to see what I mean under "settings"). The threads end instead of being the entire length of the post. Thats why you can't tighten them snug to the ear, and they can flop forward.

I inherited my aunt's Tiffany studs with screw backs.

They are 40 years old and look like new. If you have good stones and wear these earrings often, I suggest you have them re-set by Tiffany.

Tiffany's will only reset diamonds purchased at Tiffany's, unfortunately.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

151949 — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 20:20:30 GMT

I would go to a reputable jeweler and have them totally reset before you end up losing the diamond. My Grandpa made my earrings settings about 50 years ago and they are still perfect.The back should screw on with no trouble at all, and the earring should sit tight enough so that it doesn't flop down.Mine have curly ques along the sides of the settings so they are pretty on their own and the posts that hold in the diamonds are sorta curly too.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

sugarflake — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 20:57:11 GMT

Go to firemountain gems ,com as they have quite an array of styles.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

depglass — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 00:16:43 GMT

You can solve your problem for a very modest amount. Buy some of those silicone backs with metal jackets. A straight post or a threaded post will go in nicely and be secure. I have two pairs of backs I got with other earrings (one pair only $20.00) and I use them for every post set now, especially the gold ones I don't want to lose.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

chickenbutt — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 00:47:53 GMT

One website where I've gotten numerous findings and other gold parts is gsgold.com. They have all kinds of stuff in 10, 14, & 18k yellow and white gold.

I've mostly purchased 18k gold stud findings and parts, and everything I've gotten from them was good quality. It also was less expensive than I would have expected.

Re: Looking for some new backs to secure diamond stud earrings

KATIE ANN — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 01:37:36 GMT

My jewelry store put LaPousette earring posts and back on. They lock into place. You can google the name and see what they look like. I have had no problem.