HANDMADE DANGLE GEMSTONE EARRINGS

Making Dangle Drop Gemstone Earrings

My First Attempt at making Earrings was Fun.

I liked how they turned out. But there are also things that I didn’t like.

Here’s the Process…

Picking out the Beads

I wanted to use Purple Gemstones. I think the Combination of Purple against Silver would actually be a Pretty Striking Look.

I knew as soon as I saw the Purple Donut Beads in my Variety Gemstone Bag that they would be the Main Focal Point.

I picked out some Purple Faceted Beads (Bicone Beads) to Enhance the Color of the Donuts. And I picked out some Silver Beads (Bicone as well) to add even More Pizzazz.

Findings

I went on a Mission to choose Findings, which are the Pieces and Parts that make up the Earring. I picked out some Silver Wire Head Pins (as you will see below) to Tie the Beads up along with an Assortment of Jump Rings (Rings that look like a C – Not Totally Closed Up).

Making the Earrings

Working with Jump Rings is Easy.

You just use 2 Flat Nose Pliers, one in each hand (and one on each side of the Jump Ring Opening) to Bend them to open them, or Twist them Shut again.

Piece of Cake!

I started with the Donut Gemstone and put the Largest Jump Ring through that.

Then came the Fun Part. Using the Head Pin Wires I began to make the Purple Dangle Drops. I put the Wire (which has a Flat End on one Side – see below) through the Bead and grabbed my Round Nose Pliers. I Grabbed the end of the Wire and Started Bending it around the top of the Bead to Form a Loop.

Then I Grabbed the Wire and began to Twist that around the Top to Form a Spiral Design (figure 3 below).

This was Not as Easy as I Imagined

The Head Pin Wire kept Spinning and the Gem Spun as well… Plus, it was Hard to Hold.

I ended up just holding the Loop with the Pliers and Coiling the Rest of the Wire around that.

All in all, I Enjoyed this. I did learn that the Coils weren’t Perfect and they were never going to totally match. But that’s the Cool Part about handmade Jewelry! :) I think they turned out nice.

I did the same thing with the Silver Bicone Beads. One turned out really Cool… The other, NOT so Cool!

The Hole on the Second Bicone Bead was Larger and the Head Pin Wire went all the way through.

RATS!

I tried Crimping the End of the Silver Bead… that didn’t Help.

I Removed the Wire (Grumbling all the time) and used a Different Type of Wire, called a Eye Pin Wire (one that had a Large Eye Loop at the end – figure A in the above photo). I figured it would go Great with the Jump Rings. Loops are Loops, right?

Jump Ring Fun!

One by one I started Putting the Jump Rings on. Putting them on was Easy. Holding the Earring steady while you are doing it: Not Easy!

I kept Dropping them. Jump Rings were Bouncing all over the Floor. I’d Hook one end, try to Hook another and Drop the First one… BAH!

I finally got all my Jump Rings Hooked Properly.

That’s when I noticed that they only Half Dangled. Huh?

I was like a Big Mess of Silver Jump Rings with No Swing. :(

I realized that it’s much more Difficult to Visualize what they’ll look like when they are Laying on the Counter in Pieces. You can’t see the Style or the Dangle.

I Started Over

I wanted the Dangle Drop Earrings to be Longer.

I added more Jump Rings. This was Crazy because every Time I Changed one Earring, I’d have to Duplicate that Process with the Second Earring.

The Earrings now had some Swing to them, but they looked too Cluttered. Hmmm…. To Much Silver. You almost couldn’t see the Gemstones.

I removed the Silver Bicone Beads. That Helped.

I then made the Earrings even Longer with more Jump Rings to Space things. That helped a lot.

Finally I was Satisfied with the Look.

The Earrings ended up having a Nice Weight to them. They Dangle Really Good. They have Good Balance and they look Wonderful in the Ears.

I will say that the Small Purple Gems did tend to get Lost in the Silver…

Maybe I should have used Darker Gems? Or even Blue ones?

What I’m NOT happy with

The thing that I learned in this Earring Making Lesson was Simple:

Silver Plating SUCKS!

By the time I Finished Goofing around with the Earrings, I had Tiny Flakes of Silver Plating all over my Hands, Clothes, Counter, Floor…

That would have been Nasty to get in my Eyes.

Plus, I could see Spots where the Plating Broke Off Revealing Dark Metal Beneath.

NOT COOL!

I also learned that Silver Plated Jump Rings are Quite Soft and the Tools I used Left Scratches, Dings and Marks all over the Earrings. :(

Maybe I need to Invest and get Real Silver the next time. That, or Gold!

The Earrings Look Cute, but with the Dents and Pieces of Plating, I wouldn’t Want Anyone to Wear them.

Not to Mention the Fact that Silver Plating would Probably Irritate the Ears and Break them out in a Rash.

Then again, Real Silver could do the same.

You Live, You Learn

First Pair of Earrings Finished.

What will I Create Next?