Closes on the lobe with a hinge or a screw, so any design can be worn unpierced.
Also called: clip earring, screw-back
The basics
What to know about clip-on
A clip on holds by squeezing the lobe between a front and a pad. Three mechanisms dominate. A sprung hinge snaps shut at fixed pressure, and a screw back lets you dial the pressure in yourself. The paddle back folds a lever against the lobe. Screw backs are the most comfortable of the three because the tension is set to your own lobe thickness.
Test before committing. Put a pair on and keep them on for twenty to thirty minutes. Pressure that feels fine in the first minute turns into a dull ache and a numb lobe well before an evening ends. Choose a light pair for longer wear. Silicone comfort pads slip over the clip and spread the load, and they cost little enough to buy separately for pairs you already own.
Clips open the entire back catalog of jewelry to unpierced ears, which is why most earrings made before the 1960s are built this way. The trade-off is holding power against comfort. Enough pressure to hold a heavy earring is more than most lobes tolerate for hours, so weight limits which designs work. A spring softened by age drops the earring without warning. Test old clips over a table before wearing them out.
Best for
When it works well
Unpierced ears get access to designs that would otherwise need a hole.
Vintage buying works better here, since most earrings made before the 1960s were built as clips.
Occasional statement wear suits clips, as an hour or two stays comfortable where a full day would not.
Closed up piercings are no obstacle, so you can wear earrings again without repiercing.
