In the past I have always resold any screw back earrings that I buy. But I just can’t stand to let these two pair go. The round green turquoise is antique Mexico (I am not 100% they are turquoise). The others I assume are Native American. My question is do any of you have screw back earrings. I would love to see them!
Also how do you wear them. I mean that literally. How tight do you screw the on? Have you ever lost one? Do they come loose as the day goes on?
Finally do you convert them to post backs? Would these be a good candidate for conversion?
I’ve bought a couple pairs and had them converted. I’ve tried them on as screw backs and I just don’t think I could wear them that way, but that won’t stop me from buying them. If you get a jeweler that knows what they are doing with NA jewelry it’s pretty straightforward (may require a laser solder though depending on the earrings).
Your starburst pair definitely looks Zuni. They are very nice, probably 1950’s, natural turquoise stones, hand made bezels. Definitely worth getting converted.
Creating a post from the screwback is possible. However, I have found when bending to form the post from screwbacks as in your photo, the solder joint is often weak and the piece just peels or pops right off the earring. Then to welding a real post.
I have left some as is and converted some.
My conversions were primitive. I just filed off the disk on the end and then screwed them through the hole in my ear lob. These were earrings I wanted to keep to wear.
They work great.
Since there are stones in front I believe soldering can’t be used, so it is possible cut the back off and use jewelers glue to attach pierced earring backs. It will affect the value of the piece. With sterling pieces without stones I have used a jeweler to convert.
If you’re keeping them, I would definitely make the change, and have someplace like Perry Null do it. Really, really pretty earrings! I inherited 3 pairs from my mom that I switched to posts (two are Navajo, other is Mexican). I only have a picture of one pair. She got them in 1945 or ‘46. I tried to wear them as screw backs, and not only were they horrible to get on, but when I did, it didn’t take long for them to really hurt. I personally wouldn’t buy any, because for me it’s a hassle to send them out (plus many are too heavy for me anyway). However, I would never have anyone here fix them; only someone experienced in fixing Native jewelry.
I think it depends on if they’re clip or screw-back. I’ve found that there are still buyers for clips, but not screw-back. I’ve had several pairs converted by my fabulous local jeweler. Jon is not Native American, but before opening his own shop, he worked for years in a shop that sold and sized & repaired NA jewelry. He loves turquoise and Native American jewelry, and is a wizard with silver/ gold. The first photo is a piece he made for me using my Kingman turquoise cabs, the next two are his own designs:
@sjs, With single or a couple cabs, a jeweler can simply remove the cab(s), do the soldering then replace the cabs. Zuni petite point, needle point, etc are a different story! Before the days of laser, my jeweler did this on multiple pieces for me with excellent results.
I got my ears pierced in the 1960s. as a teenager. It was only in the late 60s that pierced earrings came back in to fashion. From the 1900s to 1950s pierced earrings were seen as old fashioned. I think these older native american screw back earrings were well made like most craftsman made early pieces.
I’m with @fernwood in that the conversions that I’ve done to change the clips over to pierced have been extremely primitive. I just sawed off the clip part and glued on a new pierced back, but this would be heresy on nice or valuable pieces, I’ve only done that on cheaper stuff or costume jewelry. I’ve got a manufacturing jeweler in town that does good work, but would not be knowledgeable in the Native American styles. Since I’ve never been interested in reselling anything of mine, I don’t really mind using that jeweler to make repairs to the back of the piece.
