Ear wires are the Achilles heel of earrings. They are  vulnerable to getting bent out of shape and to avoid this is to preserve your earrings for your lifetime. Keep a few things in mind and it will be  easy to avoid any mishaps  so that your earrings maintain their original shape and  look their best on you. Do not squeeze or bend the wires  to keep them secure. Instead, let a rubber back do that job. When you bend metal, the molecules, which are normally arranged evenly,  move away from the area where the bend is being made. After many bends, the metal becomes brittle and breaks in that spot. This can easily be avoided. After you insert your earring into your ear,  hold the very tip of the ear wire securely between your thumb and forefinger  to  gain the leverage that will prevent any bending,  and then gently  push the rubber back on, and, then, up  the wire. The rubber back will eventually become much easier to get on and to move up and down the ear wire, and the shape of the ear wire will maintain it's original shape, and symmetry, for wearing. Enjoy your new earrings and if you have any trouble with them,  please contact me  to make them  right as rain again.