Using slightly different or unusual ear wires, can make a huge difference to a pair of earrings. Very long wires can bring some dramatic style to your designs.

Ear wires, whether you make them yourself or buy them ready made, are an essential component when making earrings. However, rather than simply regarding them as being a purely functional jewelry finding, why not feature them as part of your designs. A long pair of ear wires, combined with a couple of feature beads can make a dramatic pair of earrings.

The long wires can be incorporated further into your design by adding beads to the wire that will compliment the earring drops. Earrings made from a combination of beaded ear wires and earring drops will hang and move in a different way to earrings made from a single long header pin. The movement from the earring drop on a long ear wire will be much further down the earring and has a very different 'feel'.

In this simple 'beaded ear wire' earring project, the design incorporates beads hung on the ear wire as well as the feature beads. Rose Quartz and Garnets have been used in these earrings – however other attractive combinations would be Amethyst and Moonstone, or for a very striking combination try Carnelian and Black Onyx. Bali Beads would also work extremely well.

Materials

2 x Rose Quartz Beads (2cms)

2 x Round Garnet Beads (4mm)

14 x Silver Beads (2mm)

2 x Freshwater pearls (4mm)

2 x Round Rose Quartz Beads (4mm)

4 x Garnet Pear Shaped Beads (6mm x 4mm)

2 x Jump Rings

2 x Earwires, (5cms in length)

2 x Head Pins (5 cms)

Equipment

Jeweller’s Pliers

Instructions

1. To make the drops, thread the beads onto the head pin in the following combination – Silver Bead, Garnet Round Bead, Silver Bead, Rose Quartz Heart, Silver Bead, Pearl. To finish the drops, bend the wire at the top into a small loop.
2. To make the beaded earwires, thread the beads onto the wire in the following combination – Silver Bead, Garnet Pear Shaped Bead, Silver Bead, Rose Quartz Round Bead, Silver Bead, Garnet Pear Shaped Bead and Silver Bead.
3. Hang the earring drop onto the ear wire using the jump ring.

To keep the beads on the ear wire from moving up and down the wire, crimp (squeeze gently) slightly the last Silver Bead on the wire (which is the top bead as you look at the ear wires), with a pair of pliers, to hold it into place. By fixing this bead it will stop the other beads from sliding up and down. This isn’t necessary as, of course, the beads won’t slide off when they are being worn, but saves any risk of losing the beads when the earrings aren’t being worn.

Experiment with different combinations of beads and stones, and try different length ear wires. Have fun with your designs!

For more information about using Silver Wire for making Jewelry see this Suite101 article. If you are thinking about making your own ear wires using a Wire Jig, we have an article that might be of interest .