Hi All,
I have a line of inexpensive earrings that are mostly French Wire
type and I am always getting approached by people who do not have
pierced ears. The earrings could easily be converted to non-pierced
but I hate the look of the converters. Does anyone know of a
supplier of nice, elegant looking earrings converters? I have
searched through the basic catalogs, Rio, Metaliferrous, etc. but
they are all the same and basically ugly. Thanks for suggestions.
Grace
Grace, why not make your own? My ears are not pierced, and I make my
own findings [for dangly earrings] as follows:
–take a three-inch piece of 18-gauge wire (I use brass, sterling,
or gold-filled; I find 20-gauge to be too flimsy for what I like).
–coil the ends inward toward each other, until the whole unit fits
into a space 1 3/8 inches wide.
–put a round post about the diameter of a chopstick upright in your
bench vise, and use it to form the “circular”(what will be the
lower) part of your finding. Rotate the two coils until they are 90
degrees from where they started, and pinch them together. "(They
should now be parallel to each other, on the same side of the post.)
–This is the basic unit, almost ready to go. I sometimes hammer the
bottom of the loop gently, both for looks and to stiffen it
slightly. Ditto, with the coils (before I form the “loop”). I also,
with a pair of flat-jaw pliers, draw each coil back a little, so they
are centered over the uncoiled part of the wire – this is an
esthetic preference of mine.
–Attach to the earring with jump ring(s) – I sometimes also attach
the finding directly by putting one end of the wire through a hole in
the earring, before coiling the second end.
–The aperture between the two coils needs to be set for each
individual
– one does NOT stretch open and then squeeze closed the finding each
time it is worn.
–To use, gently stretch out the ear-lobe and slide the aperture onto
the lobe at the bottom “corner” (where the lobe and jaw meet). Center
the finding on the lobe. Test the fit by tugging on the earring
gently – if it slides right off, the aperture needs to be narrowed.
These findings are very comfortable. I do not lose any more earrings
than I did with those painful pinch and/or screw backs. Their major
limitation is that really heavy earrings tend to slide off your lobe
too easily.
Peace,
Judy Bjorkman
Hi Judy,
I’m revealing my age here, but I think you are describing “chicken
earrings”; so named for those too chicken to get their ears pierced.
I used to make them as well before I got brave enough to be
pierced! Instead of the coils connected by a “U”-shaped wire, I
melted scrap silver into 5 - 6 mm balls and plunged the wire ends
into the molten balls, then shaped the “U.” Tension holds them in
place. If a stud look is desired, solder an inch long wire to the
back of a decorative design, stone head, etc. Put the ball on the
other end, shape and work harden the “U” - voila’ !
Judy in Kansas, who has refilled the bird feeders and water dish
more frequently with the cold temps and snow cover. Beautiful, but
makes life more difficult for our feathered friends.
Judy,
I think you are describing "chicken earrings"; so named for those too chicken to get their ears pierced.
I have never heard them called that, but you are absolutely right! I
have a vision of catching an earring on something and ripping my
ear-lobe. Those who have pierced ears say, Oh, that hardly ever
happens! My response is, yeah, “hardly ever!!” I have no intention of
piercing my ears, especially since there are such good non-pierced
options. Thanks for your description of a couple more!
Judy Bjorkman
My response is, yeah, "hardly ever!!" I have no intention of piercing my ears, especially since there are such good non-pierced options. Thanks for your description of a couple more!
As one who has had their ears pierced since childhood, and never
ripping them (I do sleep with most earrings). I will agree with
“hardly ever!”
Where does one find “such good non-pierced options?” Like Grace, I
too have looked for something better than the ugly, unreliable
non-pierced options (without soldering) offered through Rio, IJS,
TBS, and various other suppliers in the USA. I have made earrings
with omega clips, but most don’t want to pay the price for that
option.
Thanks for any advice. I’ve been following this tread closely, but
haven’t seen many responses for the non-soldering options.
My college girlfriend had a ripped/healed earlobe. It wasn’t an
"all-the-way" avulsion, but the ear piercing on that side hung
prominently lower, on close inspection.
Dan Woodard
I finally found another source for earrings for unpierced ears (this
was a thread from a few weeks ago). See the website,
http://www.hooker-earrings.com for Barbara Barnett’s (patented)
examples. Very nice.
Judy Bjorkman