Earrings are one of the popular and favorite elements of accessories. They can focus attention on your priorities and completely change your look. Usually when we choose a new pair of earrings, we think about design, size and materials. We pay great attention to the appearance of the jewelry, but at the same time we forget about an important question - about jewelry lock type.
In this article we will talk about the main lock types for classic and piercing jewelry and also explain why the most beautiful earrings with a traditional lock type are not suitable for piercing.
CLASSIC JEWELRY LOCK TYPES
Butterfly Stud
Location are two types of butterfly studs: pin or screw. Butterfly studs are a convenient type of everyday jewelry which is easy to use. Some models are easily fixed for any ear thickness.
What is bad? Sharp butterfly studs can cause discomfort during sleep - pointy ends scratch the neck. Also it's easy to rip out a strand of hair trapped in the lock. A gold probe stump (which is a legal requirement in many countries) is placed on the surface of the shaft, which is situated inside your piercing and scratches the skin from the inside. Also the butterfly shape collects a stack of dirt and dust on the back of the stud. It is a good environment for bacteria which can cause issues once you occasionally tear your piercing a little bit.
French
The French jewelry lock type is a loop that is fixed using a hook. It is the easiest and most comfortable model among classic jewelry lock types. This type is often used in the manufacture of jewelry for children.
What is bad? It is very fragile and it can easily break. For this reason, earrings with the french jewelry lock type are not recommended to be left overnight or used during activities. A gold probe stump (which is a legal requirement in many countries) is placed on the surface of the shaft, which is situated inside your piercing and scratches the skin from the inside.
Ring
The lock type is used in ring earrings, also called congo. Congo is a very popular type of jewelry.
What is bad? You need to remove these earrings overnight because congo can damage your ear.
English
The English jewelry lock type is one of the most popular for everyday wearing. In this type a lock is a special spring-clamp that snaps with a characteristic click. It is suitable for light and massive models.
What is bad? The width and the height of the jewelry are not regulated. If the ear turns out to be thinner - the jewelry will outweigh and look down, and if the ear turns out to be wider - the jewelry will compress the skin, and you can lose it. Also the mechanism is built in a way which makes jewelry insertion potentially traumatic because of a small hook on the end of inserting shaft. In addition, a gold probe stump (which is a legal requirement in many countries) is placed on the surface of the shaft, which is situated inside your piercing and scratches the skin from the inside.
PIERCING JEWELRY LOCK TYPES
Labret
Labret is a lock type which consists of a bar with a flat disc/ball on the one side. Labret is the basis for the installation of different decorative tops. This lock type has a wide range of sizes and is suitable for different piercing.
There are two types of labret: pin or screw. Unlike the studs, the lock is placed in front of the jewelry, and this is much more convenient and comfortable, because you open and close it from the visible outer part. You can see what you do. An important advantage of the labret is the internal (hidden) thread, it eliminates injuries during insertion of the piercing. The labret can be selected once and for life, and then you can only change the decorative top, without getting the labret out of your piercing.
What is bad? Sometimes (for some piercing placed deeper inside the ear) the labret type requires some special tools or knowledge to insert and lock the jewelry. You might need the help of a professional piercer to put it in, or to educate you how to lock it properly.
Clickering
Clickering is a lock type in the form of a closed ring. The clicker ring is very convenient to use: you can easily use it yourself. The clicker got its name thanks to the characteristic click-click sound when closing.This lock type has a wide range of sizes and is suitable for different piercing.
What is bad? After time in some designs with a very delicate thin ring base, the mechanism can get loose, because it's easy to bend thin gold wire. It is very important to notice this in time, and get back to your piercer for help with re-adjusting the jewelry.
The range of classic jewelry is certainly very large and many of them have pleasant prices. But only the right product will bring you a lot of pleasant experiences and will not cause trouble and surprises in everyday life! Be attentive to your health!
