Antique and Vintage Earring Back Types

October 23, 2015

Antique Earring Back #1: The Screw Back Earring - These antique earrings have a horseshoe shaped backing that curves around the ear and culminates in a bezel. A slim screw, which can be tightened or loosened to accommodate the thickness of the lobe, threads through this bezel. The screw is often topped with a decorative accent to add visual appeal to the earrings.

Antique Earring Back #2: The Clip Back Earring - These are the types of earrings you probably spied in Grandma's or Great-Grandma's jewelry box. A metal clip on the back of these antique earrings is hinged. By opening the hinge, the earrings can be slipped over the lobe. Closing the hinge secures this type of earring tightly against the ear.

Antique Earring Back #3: The Filigree Metal Clip Back Earring - A variation of the clip back earring, the filigree clip back earring features a filigree surface on the exterior of the clip back. Because of this decorative accenting, the earrings don't lose any of their visual integrity, even when viewed from the back. As a result, antique earrings with this type of backing are ideal for women with short hair or who like to wear their hair in updos.

Antique Earring Back #4: The Omega Clip Back Earring - Another variation on the clip back, the Omega clip back is formed by a single wire in the shape of an empty lightbulb. It hinges on and off the earlobe just like a traditional clip back earring does.

Vintage earrings, and even a few antique earrings, began to more frequently incorporate pierced fasteners. These are the most common types of piercing backs featured in Topazery's vintage earring collection.

Vintage Earring Back #1: Shepherd Hooks - Vintage earrings and antique earrings with this type of backing have a curved hook in the shape of a shepherd's staff that slips through the lobe's piercing. Shepherd hooks are also sometimes referred to as fish hooks.

Vintage Earring Back #2: Leverbacks - Vintage leverback earrings also have a thin wire at the back of the ear, but unlike the shepherd hook, they have an extra piece of hinged metal attached to the wire that levers closed once the hook is slipped through the lobe, thereby offering additional security. Leverbacks also sometimes go by the name of hinged wires.

Vintage Earring Back #3: Post and Clutch / Nut - These types of vintage earring backs are most similar to what is seen in modern earrings. They have a small piece of metal that juts out of the back (the post) of the earring and fits into the ear piercing. A stopper in the form of a post or clutch, often with curlicues at its back, slips over the end of the metal to keep the earrings from slipping out of the lobe.

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