Jewelled Ear wires

I love ear wires! Not those boring pre-made mass produced ones, but handmade artisan ones that really enhance or become part of the design, so I thought I would show you how to make some of my favourite!

Will o the Wisp earrings

You will need:

0.8mm sterling silver wire 

pair of 5mm stones

easy solder paste

Tools:

Wire cutters

Medium bail making pliers (or 5mm and 3mm knitting needles!)

Saw

Pair of flat nose pliers

Soldering block

Buntain torch 

Safety pickle

Bicarbonate of soda

Wire brush

Dremel with a burr cup or files

Tumbler or polishing papers

Something round to form ear wires like a pen

Cutting the wire

• Cut two 3inch pieces of 0.8mm wire for each pair of ear wires you are making (in the photo's I am making 3 pairs as it's always easier to work in batches) File one end flat and put to one side.
• Take another length of 0.8mm wire and wrap it tightly around the large side of your bail making pliers forming a coil and then do the same with the small side of the pliers. (These will be cut to form jump rings and you will need two large and two small jump rings per pair of earrings).
• Using your saw cut the coil into rings (I find it helps to use the wire cutters to make a small grove where I want to cut first or my blade just goes every where, it is also easier if you stick a small amount of tape on your coil before cutting to hold them together and go slowly as these can get really hot when sawing in a hurry).
• Once you have sawn your jump rings use your flat nose pliers to close he rings neatly together (you just need to gently twist the ends together).

Soldering together Cut eight 1cm lengths of wire per pair of ear wires and file one side of each flat.

• Arrange all the pieces on the soldering block as shown, making sure that the cut edges of the small and large jump rings are touching and that the filed ends of the wires are the ones that will be soldered to the jump ring. (it is important to make sure all pieces that are going to be soldered are spotlessly clean, so as I assemble this I wipe each piece with polishing paper or sandpaper).
• Apply small amounts of solder paste at all of the joints (this can be rather fiddly).
• Following all safety precautions (hair tied back, goggles on, apron, no long sleeves etc) solder the pieces together (go slowly as the wire is rather thin and can melt rather easily). Once soldered pickle for a few minutes to remove any fire scale and then rinse in Bicarbonate of soda and water to neutralise the pickle and brush over with a brass brush.

Shaping the prongs

• Once clean and dry (using your stone as a guide) bend the prongs up with your flat nose pliers.
• Once the prongs are in place cut them to the desired length (mine are between 2-3mm depending on the hight of the stone being set).
• Check the stone fits and adjust as needed
• Using the burr cup in a Dremel neaten up the cut wires (If you do not have a Dremel you can buy a handheld burr cup or you can just use a file to neaten up the edges.

Shaping the wire

• Once you are happy with your prongs use something round to shape your ear wires (I normally use a pen or a wooden spoon)
• File or burr the ends of your ear wires and either tumble for 30 minutes or hand polish with polishing papers
• Place your stones in the settings and use your flat nose pliers to gently squeeze the prongs down onto the stones until the stones are secure. This can be a little fiddly but go slowly because some stones (especially faceted stones) are easy to chip or break if you are too heavy handed (been there)!!!
• Add your choice of embellishments to finish the earrings....

Selection of finished earrings