To open a hoop earring, find its closure first, because each one opens differently. A snap lock opens by easing its short post out of the catch, a hinged hoop by swinging the hinged section away, an endless hoop by drawing its fine wire out of the hollow end, and a push back or omega back by sliding or folding the back off its post. Twenty-six hoops in our hoop earrings collection list their backing on the spec sheet, and every one of them uses one of these closures.
How to Open Hoop Earrings, by Closure
The table sets each closure beside the way it opens and closes, with the number of our hoops that list it. Counts come from the Backing line on each spec sheet, read from the live listings.
| Backing, as our spec sheets list it | How to open it | How to close it | Our hoops that use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snap lock | Hold the hoop near the catch and ease the short post straight back out | Line the post up with the catch and press until it clicks | 9 |
| Hinged snap-back | Press the hinged section gently away from the catch and let it swing open | Swing the section back and press until it snaps into place | 8, five of them diamond hoops |
| Endless | Draw the fine wire end out of the hollow end of the hoop | Slide the wire end back into the hollow end until it is hidden | 4 |
| Push back | Slide the back straight off the post | Slide the back onto the post until it sits against the lobe | 3 |
| Omega back | Lift the hinged clip away from the post | Fold the clip down over the post until it closes | 1 |
One diamond hoop lists its backing as a secure clasp. Snap locks and hinged snap-backs lead because the closure is part of the hoop, so there is no separate back to lose.
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Paperclip Huggie Hoop Earrings in 14K Yellow Gold
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Snap Lock Hoops
A snap lock hoop has a short post on one end of the hoop and a catch on the other. The post is what goes through the ear. To open it, hold the hoop close to the catch between thumb and finger and ease the post back out along the same line it went in. Pulling at an angle bends the post, and a bent post no longer seats in its catch.
Our paperclip huggie hoops close this way, at 19 mm long and 3.1 grams, and so do the square huggies at 12.00 mm and the rectangle hoops at 13.00 mm.
How do you put in hoop earrings?
Open the hoop first, then guide the post or wire through the piercing from the front of the ear, keeping it straight. Once it is through, bring the two ends together and close the catch, slide on the back, or tuck the wire into the hollow end, depending on the closure. Check the closure has seated before letting go, and repeat with the other ear.
Hinged Snap-Back Hoops
On a hinged hoop a whole section of the hoop swings open on a small hinge, and that section carries the end that goes through the ear. Press it gently away from the catch with a fingertip and it opens. To close it, swing it back through the piercing and press until it snaps shut. Never force the hinge past where it stops opening.
This is the closure on our puffy hoops at 27.00 mm and the petite ultra puffy hoops at 20.00 mm, and on five of our diamond hoop earrings, where the hinge keeps the set front of the hoop facing forward.
How do you open a hinged hoop earring?
Hold the hoop with the hinge at the top and find the seam where the moving section meets the catch. Press the section gently away from the catch with a fingertip or the edge of a nail until it releases, then let it swing open on the hinge. Open it only as far as it moves freely, because forcing a hinge past its stop loosens it.
Endless Hoops
An endless hoop is a fine tube of gold with one end narrowed to a wire. That wire is the part that goes through the ear, and it closes by sliding into the hollow end of the tube, so the hoop looks unbroken. Open it by drawing the wire out of the hollow end, then ease the hoop apart only as far as the piercing needs.
All four of our endless hoops close this way: the endless oval hoop at 25.00 mm and 1.5 grams, the endless round hoop at 21.00 mm, the endless pear hoop at 32.00 mm and the endless paperclip hoop at 44.00 mm.
How do you put in endless hoop earrings?
Draw the wire end out of the hollow end and open the hoop just enough to pass the wire through the piercing from the front. Then bring the ends together and feed the wire back into the hollow end until it disappears. Open an endless hoop as little as possible each time, because fine wire bent wide and often loses its round shape.
Push Back and Omega Back Hoops
Some hoops go through the ear on a straight post, like a stud, and are held from behind. A push back slides onto the post and off again. An omega back is a hinged clip that folds up and closes over the post, and it suits a heavier hoop because it holds the post from both sides.
Our puffy C hoop huggies at 13.90 mm and 1.2 grams use a push back, as do the polished C huggies and the crossover hoops. The large puffy omega C hoops, at 5.1 grams, close with an omega back.
When a Hoop Is Tight or Stuck
Most stuck hoops are snap locks or hinged hoops whose catch has been pressed at an angle. Work slowly, with clean dry fingers, and keep the movement in line with the closure.
How do you open tight hoop earrings?
Hold the hoop right beside the catch, not at the far side, so your grip does not twist it. Ease the post or hinged section out along the line it closes on, a little at a time. Do not pry it open with a tool or bend the hoop wider to free it. If it still will not release, have a jeweler look at the catch rather than forcing it.
Why can't I unscrew my earring?
The back may not be a screw back at all. None of our hoops lists a screw closure: their backings are snap locks, hinged snap-backs, endless closures, push backs, an omega back and one secure clasp. A push back slides straight off its post without turning, so twisting it only grips it tighter. Pull it straight back instead.
Every closure here is a section of our hoop earring sizes guide, which measures each hoop side by side, and our types of earring backs guide covers studs as well.
Choose by closure in our hoop earrings and huggie earrings collections, or start with the paperclip huggie hoops in 14K yellow gold, 19 mm long with a snap lock.
Warranty. Every DEEVE piece carries a lifetime manufacturer's warranty for the original purchaser, serviced in-house, with complimentary cleaning, inspection and prong tightening for the life of the piece and rhodium re-plating on white gold at no charge. Read the warranty.
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