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screwbacks vs. friction

CedarRapids

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
146
a quick survey, if you don't mind.

for 3/4 diamond studs (~$2K), what are your preferences:

1. screwbacks vs. friction.

2. 18K white gold vs. platinum

I specifically got the BN 18K white gold screwbacks. Screwbacks because I assume she'll wear them 24/7 more-or-less and not platinum because I need to preserve the ring fund.
 

Asscherhalo_lover

Ideal_Rock
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Aug 16, 2007
Messages
5,703
Screwbacks make me crazy, I have heavy friction backs and I have never had a problem. I don't wear them to sleep or in any type of water but other than that I wear them everywhere.

They are the preset bezel studs from BGD and I'm pretty sure 14k gold.
 

ame

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jul 7, 2004
Messages
10,869
1. Friction (whatever is "normal")
2. Platinum. I cannot wear gold.
 

cokitty

Brilliant_Rock
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Jun 5, 2011
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1,298
1. I like friction earrings with LaPousette backs to them. They are great compromise between the two. You get the on and off ease of friction and the security of the screwback.
2. I prefer platinum, I have a mild allergy to WG, it turns yellow quickly.

You might try Good Old Gold when I was searching for my studs they were very helpful. I spoke with a young lady, Sarah, who was helpful kind and quick to respond.
I ended up going with BGD and they are great as well. My 3.41tcw studs
 

junebug17

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jun 17, 2009
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14,128
1. friction - screwbacks hurt my ears when taking on and off (but many people wear them with no problem)
2. I think 18k gold is fine for earrings. Mine are 14k and I think they look great. personal preference, but I'd go with 18k if it helps in the money department. (barring any metal allergies)
 

Rhea

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 20, 2007
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My earrings are roughly the same carat weight at 0.71.

I wear La Pousette backs. I don't like screwbacks - they hurt my ears, and I don't quite trust friction backs. My curly hair always get caught on the inexpensive friction backs and I've lost a few this way. I hear that more expensive friction backs are different, but I'm not ready to risk it yet.

I have unplated 14k white gold studs. The platinum was too expensive for me at the time. I'm not really bothered by the metal type. I don't appear to have an intolerance to any common metals and since very little metal shows it really doesn't matter to me.
 

zoebartlett

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 29, 2006
Messages
12,461
junebug17|1313957091|2995850 said:
1. friction - screwbacks hurt my ears when taking on and off (but many people wear them with no problem)
2. I think 18k gold is fine for earrings. Mine are 14k and I think they look great. personal preference, but I'd go with 18k if it helps in the money department. (barring any metal allergies)

Just what I was thinking!
 

marcy

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Feb 27, 2007
Messages
26,278
Screwback earrings drive me crazy. They hurt my ears to get them in and out and I find the screws difficult to use and hang on to. I have 14K YG friction back and have no problem with them. I don't wear them to bed or in the shower. I think whether you want WG or platinum is a personal preference.
 

centralsquare

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
2,216
I have friction backs...wear them every day and have had no issues. Screwback scare me...hard to get off. My earrings are WG and I love them. Didn't feel I needed the strength of platinum and, when I bought them, gold was waaaay cheaper than platinum.
 

Fly Girl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 9, 2007
Messages
7,312
Mine are friction backs set in platinum. My diamonds are Blue Nile, but my local jeweler did the setting for much less than Blue Nile wanted.

Inserting tiny screws through my ears hurts like H*LL. A pox on those various jewelers who have posted here about how comfortable they are. They aren't the ones wearing them. :nono:

I got platinum for ease of care. I drop my earrings into ammonia water and let them soak every night. Platinum is a nice inert metal, and right now is priced about the same as gold, so I would definitely choose platinum. :))
 

Snooper

Brilliant_Rock
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May 1, 2006
Messages
1,260
I too like and have LaPousette for my studs, best of both worlds.
 

collier

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
368
I have bigger studs, but I don't think it matters much. I am allergic to silver, and was hesitant with 18k white gold but did that anyway. At the time, it was cheaper than platinum. Now I would to platinum without batting an eye. Go with platinum, eventually the prices will normalize. Either platinum will increase or gold will fall.

I got screw backs, they really don't bother me at all (very comfy for me at least), and I wear them nonstop. They lived in my ears, until I lost the back to one. I had just gone for a jog, my head phone hook over my ears and go behind my head. I was in the shower, I always check them when I get in the shower and gasped so loudly that my dh came in to check on me. I still had the earring, but the back was gone. I didn't hear it fall in the shower, but the water was one so who knows.

Now, I don't wear them when I work out, but screw backs aren't the end all be all of security that is for sure as I am very careful. I haven't lost a piece of jewelry otherwise since the 8th grade, and it was one sterling earring shaped like an elephant ballancing on a freshwater pearl.
 

Mrsacornblue

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
229
I have both. My top ones (smaller) are platinum and screwbacks. Because they are such a pain to get in and out, I wear them all the time and take them out only to clean them. My larger ones are friction backs and WG. I think that friction back and WG are fine for everyday wear. My WG earrings look brand new and have never needed replating as my rings have. I will say that I have lost one of my friction backs pulling a scrub cap off so if I were to do it over and wear them to work, I'd get screw backs.
 

yennyfire

Ideal_Rock
Trade
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Jun 6, 2010
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I'd do white gold. Since they're earrings, they won't really need replating, so they'll retain their white gold color and you'll save some $$.

As for the backs, I'd go with locking backs. I have had mine for about 12 years and feel confident that my earrings will never fall off and they are really easy to take on/off. Here's a photos of the backs.

Best-Locking-Earring-Backs.gif
 

diamondseeker2006

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Jan 11, 2006
Messages
58,547
I did my studs in white gold and friction backs. I do not care for screw backs and have heard the threads can wear down over time. It is not good to wear diamond studs 24/7 because they get dirty and need to be cleaned often, so friction backs make that a lot easier.
 

motownmama

Ideal_Rock
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Jan 9, 2008
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8,207
also - I had white gold earrings but had plat posts b/c of allergy.
 

KaeKae

Ideal_Rock
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May 27, 2009
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2,390
I've been wearing my 14K wg .65 tcw studs, with screwbacks for 23 years, without a problem. I don't sleep in earrings, so I have to put them in each time I wear them, which is probably 5x/week. I don't mind the few extra seconds it takes, because I know they are secure. Hope she loves her earrings!
 

CedarRapids

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Aug 16, 2011
Messages
146
Thank you everyone for replying. Sorry if wasn't clear in my original post, but I had already bought them. The Blue Nile special I chose were the 18K WG screwbacks. We'll see if she likes them and if she can actually wear them! BN 'Build an Earring' doesn't seem to have much selection for stud settings. Screwbacks or bust!
 

stci

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
2,514
Friction and 18k gold.
 

pixgirl

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 30, 2010
Messages
245
Screwbacks - love the absolute security
White gold
 

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Apr 30, 2005
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33,227
Screws and friction?

MODERATOR! :lol:
 
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