Question - Sweet Alhambra Earstuds wear 24/7

[EpiFanatic]

I have had my Sweet Alhambra Onyx earrings for about 2 years and for a while (till a few months ago) I wore them 24/7. They go with everything, are really comfortable to wear and felt really secure.
The stones and the front of the earring still look like new - but I have recently run into two issues that made me stop wearing them all-together:

1) Biggest problem is the stud click mechanism/groove on one of the earrings just stopped working one day. I almost lost the earring twice when it randomly fell off. Thankfully this happened at home! The first time I thought I must have caught it on something which made it fall off but the second time I was really careful and it still fell off - upon inspection I discovered that the earring backing no longer clicks in securely and is pretty loose on the stem. I didn’t put them on and off often so it wouldn’t make sense that they would be worn down. I no longer wear them for fear of losing one.

2) While the front of the earring is in perfect condition, the yellow gold on the back side and the backing have become discoloured. I have cleaned it and have brought it in to be cleaned by VCA which didn’t help. I don’t care too much about this but it might bother other people. I haven’t had this happen with any of my other earrings from different brands so I’m not sure why it’s happening.
Still love them and will go back to using them after getting the backing issue resolved with VCA.

Here are some pictures! View attachment 5925253
You can see the discolouration on the back here:
View attachment 5925254

I would try the Amazon ones as suggested by @lynne_ross. You might find them way more easy to use than the ones provided by VCA, even if those were functioning properly. The ones from Amazon are larger and the sides are raised to make it easier to grip in order to squeeze. I don’t understand why VCA doesn’t provide backs that are easier to use. My mom has slightly arthritic hands and she finds gripping these backs very difficult, which makes those earrings much less accessible. With everything they are willing to do with posts, shorten them, exchange them for thinner ones, change metal and soldering, it’s bizarre they don’t provide better usage options for the backs. Where is the logic?

 

[nicole0612]

I have had my Sweet Alhambra Onyx earrings for about 2 years and for a while (till a few months ago) I wore them 24/7. They go with everything, are really comfortable to wear and felt really secure.
The stones and the front of the earring still look like new - but I have recently run into two issues that made me stop wearing them all-together:

1) Biggest problem is the stud click mechanism/groove on one of the earrings just stopped working one day. I almost lost the earring twice when it randomly fell off. Thankfully this happened at home! The first time I thought I must have caught it on something which made it fall off but the second time I was really careful and it still fell off - upon inspection I discovered that the earring backing no longer clicks in securely and is pretty loose on the stem. I didn’t put them on and off often so it wouldn’t make sense that they would be worn down. I no longer wear them for fear of losing one.

2) While the front of the earring is in perfect condition, the yellow gold on the back side and the backing have become discoloured. I have cleaned it and have brought it in to be cleaned by VCA which didn’t help. I don’t care too much about this but it might bother other people. I haven’t had this happen with any of my other earrings from different brands so I’m not sure why it’s happening.
Still love them and will go back to using them after getting the backing issue resolved with VCA.

Here are some pictures! View attachment 5925253
You can see the discolouration on the back here:
View attachment 5925254

Hello, this is not abnormal, though of course not desirable.
1) Backs becoming loose/will no longer stay in place: This is not because of a defect in the earrings, it is because oils from the skin or from hair/hair care products get inside the mechanism of the backs and they can no longer stay rigid and fixed in place, because this is based on friction, and the oils basically grease up the mechanism inside the backs so they slide freely. If you wear your earrings frequently, you should check them every day by doing a “pull test”. Basically pull on the earring back (not pressing on the release notches) along the post itself (not the click groove) and see if it moves on its own without pressing the release notches. if it moves, you need to get new backs because they are full of oil and will not stick. They could come off at any time. If there is enough oil in them, they can even come off over the click groove. This is not a VCA defect, it happens with any earrings with this type of back if they get skin/hair/product oil in them. You can exchange for a butterfly back if you prefer or just buy replacement backs on Amazon if you don’t want to get new VCA backs from your SA).
2) This is significant tarnish. Buy a tarnish cloth and wet the tip and scrub like your life depends on it, slowly you will see the darker color coming off. You can also buy a tarnish cream that you apply in tiny dots and scrub with a q-tip. That can get messy, and best for pieces that you can clean off in water afterwards, so try the tarnish cloth first.

 

[nicole0612]

I would try the Amazon ones as suggested by @lynne_ross. You might find them way more easy to use than the ones provided by VCA, even if those were functioning properly. The ones from Amazon are larger and the sides are raised to make it easier to grip in order to squeeze. I don’t understand why VCA doesn’t provide backs that are easier to use. My mom has slightly arthritic hands and she finds gripping these backs very difficult, which makes those earrings much less accessible. With everything they are willing to do with posts, shorten them, exchange them for thinner ones, change metal and soldering, it’s bizarre they don’t provide better usage options for the backs. Where is the logic?

I have the same larger locking backs from Amazon and highly recommend them. They are about $50-55 per set, so I just got 2 sets and share them among earring sets.

 

[needmorebags7]

Not sure why vca uses la pousette backs for some of their earrings. It seems like butterfly backings ( used by some other jewellery brands)last longer for daily wear.

I have the same question! I prefer the butterfly backings as well. I also have a pair of earrings where the backing screws on and I even prefer that one for long-term wear even though it’s cumbersome to put on/take off.

It seems like the cost and longevity won't match up. They are not going hand in hand. I had experience in wearing pure silver, pure gold and 18k wg from non branded jewellery shops and it seems like those live up to your expectations because I used to wear those for years and it's very low maintenance except maybe once or twice, the chain needed to get fixed, that's all. Maybe those will not let you down. I used to wear a pair of fresh water pearls with butterfly backing from Tous and it lasted more than 10 years without any repairs and I wore them 24/7 without taking them off except for occasional cleaning. Yes, maybe try those brands.

I have a similar experience - I have many pieces that are from a jeweller - not a big name brand - and I’ve had them for over a decade without any issues. I love the designs of VCA and other known brands but wish the pieces were able to endure more wear and tear. Regardless I keep purchasing though, haha.

 

[eletons]

I have the same question! I prefer the butterfly backings as well. I also have a pair of earrings where the backing screws on and I even prefer that one for long-term wear even though it’s cumbersome to put on/take off.

I have a similar experience - I have many pieces that are from a jeweller - not a big name brand - and I’ve had them for over a decade without any issues. I love the designs of VCA and other known brands but wish the pieces were able to endure more wear and tear. Regardless I keep purchasing though, haha.

The issue of the earrings makes me realise why some people prefer buying and selling cycles for luxury items whether it's cars, jewellery or bags. It's because the cost of maintenance is not cheap, they want to sell the used items before they got run down to avoid maintenance costs.

Anyway, one's spending habit is one's choice.

I also understand not everyone would like to have my vca collection when it's time to pass them down because they are not brand new. However, the value is in the joy whenever I wear them so enjoy your piece and not worry about the rest when you get them back from repairs.