screwbacks?
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) what do you think are the SAFEST backs for diamond studs??
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by lop » May 27th, 2004, 8:14 am
It's been years since I've had screwbacks, so I can't really speak for them, but...I have the Guardian backs (also called La Pousette, I believe), and they aren't going anywhere. The back doesn't move around on the stud at all without pinching the sides, and that can't happen by accident. You probably won't find a definitive answer -- I think the question is which ones are "safe enough" for you to consider other issues like comfort, ease of use, etc.
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Hi newposter,
Backings, like settings, are always a matter of personal preference. The tension design that pushbacks offer have been known to work just as well (and in some cases, even better) than screwposts. However, some people prefer the perceived added security that screwposts appear to offer. The problem with screwposts is that there is the possibility of losing the backing either through regular wear and tear or as the threading on the post wears down over time (I lost a diamond earring this way, actually  …the other now in a pendant ).The la poussette or squeeze-backs have increased in popularity recently, as the squeeze mechanism on the disk solves the problem encountered with threading on a screwpost while adding a bit more security than the pushback. They do take some getting used to, however, and women with long fingernails tend to find them a bit difficult to put on. Again, it’s really all a matter of personal preference and what you decide works best for you. Hope this helps. Kindest regards always, Linda  |
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I had actually considered changing my screw backs to the La Pousettes, but then read that they, too, wear out.
Personally, I don't feel that the security of my screw backs is "perceived", as my diamond studs are 2.5 carats each and screw backs in working order are the safest way to go in caring for these beauties, aside from the insurance rider! Like all jewelry, they need to be inspected and re-done as things wear out. |
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I'm glad to hear they work for you. I do think screwbacks are perceived to be safer than they actually are. though. I have lost two diamond earrings....both were screwbacks. I would check each earrings 5-6 times a day to make sure they were tightened. However, in both instances, when the threads wore a bit, the backings spun right off. I've been wearing LaPousette backs since then, and I personally feel they are much more secure. They can be tough with long nail or wet fingers, but once you get used to them, they are a piece of cake. |
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Hi headlight, I agree that all jewelry, be it screwposts or la poussettes, need to be inspected and re-done as they wear out. There is always the possibility with any backing that it will fall off. By 'perception' I mean that some people automatically assume that screwposts are safe by nature and therefore would never require maintenance (hence, the threading wearing down over time). However, you're right in saying that, with proper care (as with any jewelry), they also provide a certain degree of security. WOW! 2.5 carats in each ear!  How spectacular!!!!  Kindest regards always, Linda
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Hi newposter, If you have found that la poussettes didn't sit right with you, then either the screwbacks or the pushbacks will most likely give you a better comfort and sitting fit. However, since I lost that diamond earring as a result of the screwposts, my personal preference has been to stay away from them and opt for the pushbacks, if given a choice between the two. Just remember that screwposts are high maintenance (as a result of the threading issue) and are to be watched over very cautiously.  Just my 2 cents from my own personal experience. Kindest regards always, Linda
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Yes, Linda, you are correct in that people should not assume that just because they had their earring retrofitted with the screwbacks they are "finished" with it for life if they wear the earrings on a regular/daily basis. The "threading" on the post DOES wear out, and Linda makes a good point by bringing this to everyone's attention.
I will have to photograph them and post the picture one of these days. They were my grandmother's and I was the very lucky recipient! |
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I've never had my LP's not sit right. You might not have had them on right. They are intended to have the back sit flush to your ear. The indented circle that you have to get the back over is at the end of the post. That's just what keeps them from coming off by accident, not anything to do with how you wear them.
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Lop just took part of my thunder, I was going to post that the "click stop" indents on the post of the protector back posts was the "fail safe" position and that actually the backs should be slid up the post to where they make your ears the most comfortable.
My main problem with screw backs is one of hygiene. Tend to collect detritus such as dead skin cells, body oils (which turn rancid over time), bacteria, etc. in much greater quantities than do the friction backs and the protector backs. (referred to above as both La Pousette and guardian backs.) This detritus comes off on your fingers and in your ears and can be unhealthy. Plus the screw backs are a larger diameter post to accommodate the threads so that the threads can actually irritate the flesh of the ear if you have small piercing holes. In my thirty years in the trade both of the women who had badly infected ears at the piercing location had been wearing screw backed earrings. Granted, two women with problems in thirty years is a low likelihood of problems, but in my opinion it is a reality and the difficulty of keeping the earring threads clean is also problematic. Where I have seen problems with the protector backs are where my clients wear their earrings all day every day, including in the shower so that eventually the squeeze mechanism gets clogged with soap scum and or rusts. So far none of my clients have lost one yet, but I find that after about two years of constant wear I end up with clients needing to replace the squeeze mechanism. |
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P.S. The backs can be any of the brands, La Pousette was I believe the first, but I could be wrong about that. They were widely sold and distrinuted by Stuller, but the supply became problamatic with the French maker not keeping promised delivery dates so Stuller dropped the LP line and started using the Protector brand. I believe that Guardian is another brand, but I do not know who supplies them.
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Wink, How disgusting!  I just think of cleanliness as a given but I guess I stand corrected on this.  Also, sometimes women are allergic to the nickel alloy that is used in the posts - a consideration when selecting the metal. Kindest regards always, Linda |
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Quoting form the wisdom of my metal sculptor cousin: "you must be nuts to thread precious metals" - he just meant that those are too soft for the threading on the screw to endure. In theory, he's right. There is a minimum hardness requirement for the alloys produced for threading, and platinum is way below that. |
