Earrings with Copper Sheet and Apatite and Smoky Quartz Beads
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Design Idea SA2A
-- Designer --
Patti, Jewelry Designer, Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®
To learn more about Patti Miller, read her jewelry artist success story here.
: : : Materials : : :
Click here to view a full list of materials used in this design.
Please take the creative opportunity to select the products of your choice for this design, offered here at Fire Mountain Gems and Beads. Some materials may not be available or listed.
- Wire, Argentium® silver, half-hard, round, 22 gauge.
- Blue apatite, round bead natural 4-4.75mm.
- Apatite, rough nugget bead natural.
- Smoky quartz, hand-cut faceted rondelle bead 4mm-4.5x3mm.
- Ball peen hammer, plastic and brass, black and yellow, with 1-inch flat head and 1-inch ball head.
- Ear wire fishhook sterling silver, 15mm flat / 2.5mm ball / open loop, 21 gauge.
- Chasing hammer, steel and rubberwood, natural, 28mm convex head and 14mm ball head.
- Disc cutter, steel and rubber, black and silver, 7-1/4 inch round base for cutting 3-31.6mm rounds.
- Sheet, Lillypilly, copper, azul patina, 24 gauge.
- Top coat, PermaLac®NT, crystal clear, transparent crystal clear, semi-gloss.
Earring Instructions
Step 1
Cut the following lengths from 22-gauge Argentium® silver half-hard round wire:
- Two 2-1/4 inch lengths
- Two 1-1/2 inch lengths
- Two 1-1/4 inch lengths
- Two 1-inch lengths
Step 2
Use a disc cutter to cut a 1-inch circle from a sheet of Lillypilly 24-gauge azul patina copper sheet. Be sure to lubricate the cutter with PRO-CUT™ wax lubricant before cutting.
Step 3
Sand the edge of the disc with a medium grit sanding pad.
Step 4
Punch holes 2mm from the top edge and 2mm from the bottom edge of the disc with 1.5mm round hole-punch pliers.
Step 5
Sand the back of the disc well with the sanding pad.
Step 6
Place the disc in the center of the largest cup of a large dapping block, placing a doubled-over paper towel over the disc to protect the patina. Create a dome, using the largest punch from the set and a brass hammer. Then place the disc into the next smallest dish and repeat with the next smaller punch. Continue with the second smallest punch until you’ve gone through all sizes in the block.
Step 7
Gently curve a 2-1/4 inch wire as seen in the example.
Step 8
Place each wire on a steel block, one at a time. Hammer the following portions of each wire flat with the domed side of a chasing hammer:
- 1-1/4 inch of the curved 2-1/4 inch wire
- 4/5 inch of the 1-1/2 inch wire
- 3/4 inch of the 1-1/4 inch wire
- 1/2 inch of the 1-inch wire
Then turn the hammer around and apply a ball-peen texture to the flattened surfaces.
Step 9
Onto the 1-1/2 inch wire, thread an apatite mini rough nugget bead, a 4-4.75mm blue apatite round bead and a 4mm-4.5x3mm smoky quartz faceted rondelle bead.
Step 10
Make a simple loop in the un-flattened end of both the 2-1/4 inch and 1-1/2 inch wires in the same direction as the flattened part of the wires.
Make a simple loop in the end of both the 1-1/4 inch and 1-inch wires in the opposite direction as the flattened part of the wire.
Step 11
Open the loops of the 1-1/4 inch and 1-inch wires and add them to the hole in the bottom of the disc.
Step 12
Add a 15mm 21-gauge sterling silver fishhook ear wires to the top hole in the disc.
Step 13
Offset the loop in the 2-1/4 inch curved wire using the tip of round-nose pliers just below the loop, so the tip of the wire will fall near the center-line of the disc when added to the loop of the ear wire.
Step 14
Add the 1-1/2 inch beaded wire to the ear wire on top of the 2-1/4 inch curved wire. Once added, slide the beads up, gently curving the wire in the opposite direction of the 2-1/4 inch wire, then slide the beads back down.
Step 15
Repeat Steps 2 - 14 for the second earring.
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