December 2001 For Your Staff/Selling Jewelry Styles Four Classic Styles of Earring Findings This is 18th in a series of articles Professional Jeweler is presenting on different jewelry styles. Learning about different styles, selling points and where they come from can make your job more interesting and profitable All findings are in 14k gold and are provided by Stuller, Lafayette, LA; (800) 877-7777, fax (800) 444-4741, www.stuller.com, info@stuller.com. – by Lorraine M. O’Donnell, A.J.P Photos by Robert Weldon Clip Back A hinged spring tab secures this type of earring closure to the ear lobe. Clip backs are an alternative to pierced earrings; even people with pierced ears often prefer clips for heavy earrings because they’re less likely to stretch or tear the ear. Screw Back Also called French backs, this earring closure looks similar to the clip back. But instead of using a hinged spring tab, it’s secured to the ear by a threaded screw that’s manually tightened onto the lobe. Shepherd’s Hook Resembling a shepherd’s staff, this hook is an open curved wire that passes through the lobe and hangs down in an open manner. It has no closure. Kidney Wire More secure than the shepherd’s hook, this closure works like a safety pin. One end of the wire goes through the ear and fits into a small notch at the other end. In a variation, a hinged tab springs up to cover the end of the hooded wire.