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A Toast to Ireland Earrings Tutorial
The texture of the gold filled hammered links partnered with the flash of lush, Olivine green Swarovski bicones and the warm flash of Crystal Metallic Sunshine briolettes make for a pair of elegant, delightfully lightweight, delicate dangle earrings.
Created by: Megan Holden
Designer Tips
Cut 24ga jewelry wire into six 0.75" segments (for the olivine bicone dangles) and two 3" segments for wrapping the Crystal Metallic Sunshine briolettes.
Using your hard rubber block* and chasing hammer, flatten the very end (about .25") of the six pieces of wire, to hold the bicones in place. Thread one bicone onto each of the 6 flattened pieces and form a loop at the top of each. Set aside.
For help in making loops for the bicones, and wrapped loop dangles with the briolettes, refer to Jewelry Basics 101 (PDF).
Continued Below...
Designer Tips, Continued
Use 6mm jump rings to connect three gold-fill links together, then one more jump ring to attach the top link to an ear wire.
Repeat.
Now that you have the ear wires attached, you can hang the earrings on the edge of a glass or a coffee mug while adding the last steps, keeping the earrings straight and untangled. At each intersection between the links, attach another jump ring to lie flush with each link. (Your bicones will hang from these links.)
Take the 6 bicone drops that you set aside earlier, and loop one over each of the 3 jump rings on each earring.
Now you're ready for the briolettes' finishing touch: Wrap each Crystal Metallic Sunshine briolettes with a 3" piece of wire. Important: before you close your wire-wrapped loop, loop it around the bottom link of the earrings.
Suggested Supplies
6 each #44-050-76-91 12kt Gold-Filled Jewelry Link, Hammered Marquise, 21.5mm
Hard Rubber Bench Block - *It takes a little more muscle to flatten your head pins on a hard rubber block instead of a steel block, but for gold-fill wire, this designer say it's worth the extra time and effort. GF wire is more expensive than base-metal, and you want to shape it gently, and not mar the top layer.
Chasing Hammer - we've listed a few of our favorite options, at various price points
Side Flush Cutters
Bent Chain-Nose Jewelry Pliers
Round-Nose Jewelry Pliers
For additional colors and sizes, or similar items, click into the "Related Products" tab of any item.
