Ombré Earrings with Delica® Seed Beads and Crystal Passions®, Celestial Crystal® and Preciosa Bicone Beads

Cut 50 inches of 12-pound test smoke Miyuki Dura-line thread. Thread one end onto a #12 John James 2-inch needle. Tie the other end onto one bottom corner of a silver plated open triangle beading hoop using a surgeon’s knot followed by an overhand knot. 

Thread on a #11 Delica ® silver-lined red seed bead and slide the bead all the way to the open triangle component. Pull the thread through the open triangle beading hoop. Then pass the thread through the seed bead, in the end the thread has exited through last.

Repeat Step 3 until there are 13 beads in a row. 

Start your beading pattern of #11 Delica seed beads to make column #1:

1. Three silver-lined red
2. One silver-lined orange
3. One silver-lined red
4. Three silver-lined orange
5. One silver-lined yellow
6. One silver-lined orange
7. Three silver-lined yellow
8. One silver-lined green
9. One silver-lined yellow
10. Three silver-lined green
11. One silver-lined light blue
12. One silver lined green
13. Three silver-lined light blue
14. One copper-lined cobalt
15. One silver-lined light blue
16. Three copper-lined cobalt
17. One silver-lined outside dyed purple
18. One copper-lined cobalt
19. Three silver-lined outside dyed purple

Then finish the strand with one 2.5mm silver fire-polished bead and one #15 Miyuki palladium-plated rocaille seed bead.

When you get to the end of the column, string the thread back through all the beads, skipping the #15 Miyuki palladium-plated rocaille seed bead, which will work as a stopper. 

Once the thread reaches the top of the column, string it through the top seed bead attached to the open triangle component, then back down through the next seed bead over that is attached to the open triangle component.

Pull to take up slack so no thread is showing, then gently roll the fringe so it is not overly tight.

Tip: Take care when threading back up through the beads not to skip any, as it will create an undesirable look.

Make column #2, following the pattern in Step 4, changing out each series of three beads for a series of four beads. 

Make column #3, following the pattern in Step 4 changing out each series of three beads for a series of five beads. 

Make column #4, following the pattern in Step 4 changing out each series of three beads for a series of six beads.

Repeat Step 6 to create column #5.

Repeat Step 5 to create column #6.

Repeat Steps 6, 7, 6 and 5 two times, and then Step 4 to create columns #7 through #13.

Thread your needle and thread back through several of the top beads attached to the frame, then back down one of the fringes. About halfway down, pop the needle out of the fringe, pull the thread taught, then cut it off.

Thread the original tail thread onto the needle, then repeat Step #11 to finish that end.

Attach a 22-gauge silver-plated angular ear wire to the top of the open triangle component beading hoop component, then close the simple loop.

Create a drop by threading seven 4mm crystal bicone beads, coordinating with the seed bead colors and in rainbow order, onto a 2-inch 21-gauge silver plated head pin. Finish the drop with a simple loop. Attach the drop to the loop inside the top of the open triangle beading hoop component.

Repeat Steps 1 – 14 for the second earring.