The Different Types of Earrings

For pierced ears, there are different earring styles featuring two types of closures:

• Butterfly Back or Push-Back:

  The most common type, this closure secures the earring with a "butterfly" that slides onto the post passing through the earlobe.
  For a more secure hold, the post is sometimes threaded. While more difficult to put on and remove, this closure is useful for securing higher-value earrings (diamonds, precious metals).

• Alpa Back:

  This type of backing, which is more expensive, consists of small discs with a slightly domed surface that presses against the back of the ear. On either side of the disc, two serrated tabs activate springs that clip onto the notch of the post.

• Stud Earrings:

  These earrings, consisting of a post that passes through the ear, are secured on the earlobe, giving the illusion of floating on it. The Alpa back is preferred for higher-end models, particularly diamond styles.

• Hoop Earrings or Rings:

  These circular or semi-circular earrings are made from metal tubing. The hoop is secured to the ear with a thinner post at the front and a pivot at the back that slides into the post.

• Hook Earrings:

  Hook earrings, most often in silver or fashion metal, are made from a solid curved wire that hooks onto the ear with no back closure. The wire is long enough, however, to prevent the earring from being lost.

• Leverback Earrings:

  Earrings with suspended motifs, whose defining feature is a hinged closure that wraps around and secures the earlobe. The leverback dates back to the mid-19th century and owes its name to its original purpose: preventing the piercing hole from closing during the night in the first months after getting ears pierced.