Wire chandelier earrings

Stamp designs, drill holes, and dap a flat metal flower into charming caps. Attach dangles and beads to the

caps to build lavish, elegant chandelier earrings.

by Kate Richbourg

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©2012 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

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materialspair of earrings• 2 20 mm six-petal flower

blanks, 24-gauge (0.51 mm), sterling silver

• 2 14 mm eight-petal flower blanks, 24-gauge (0.51 mm), sterling silver

• 2 12 x 10 mm chalcedony drop beads

• 30 5 mm green faceted chalcedony rondelles

• 38 4 mm round turquoise beads

• 28 3 mm red faceted fire-polished beads

• 2 5 mm daisy spacers• 28 3 mm daisy spacers• 28 1-in. (25.5 mm)

24-gauge (0.51 mm) head pins

• 6 2-in. (51 mm) 24-gauge (0.51 mm) eye pins

• 28 1-in. (25.5 mm) 24-gauge (0.51 mm) eye pins

• pair of ear wires

tools & supplies• Wirework toolbox• 1.25 mm hole-punch pliers• 1 lb. (453.6 g) brass mallet

or utility hammer• design stamps: asterisk,

period• dapping block and dap-

ping punches• fine-tip permanent-ink pen• liver of sulfur

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5a

stepbystep

1 With a fine-tip pen, place a mark for 12 holes on a 20 mm six-petal flower blank, one in the center of each petal and one where the two petals indent, approximately 1/16 in. (1.5 mm) from the edge of the blank (1a). Using a ruler, find the blank’s center and mark it with the pen. Punch holes through all the marks using 1.25 mm hole-punch pliers (1b). Repeat

increase the curve (5b). Tapping lightly with the hammer ensures that the stamped design will remain intact. Repeat for the second large blank.

6 Repeat step 5 using the smaller flower blanks and a 13.6 mm and 11.9 mm dap-ping punch. Patinate and pol-ish all the blanks (6).

7 Make 12 dangling chain units for the large six-petal blanks. For each unit, slide a 5 mm green chalcedony ron-delle onto a 1-in. (25.5 mm) eye pin, and make a plain loop (Basics). Repeat. Con-nect the two units. String a red 3 mm fire-polished bead, a 3 mm daisy spacer, and a 4 mm turquoise bead on a 1-in. (25.5 mm) head pin, and make a plain loop. Attach this dangle to the two green chal-cedony units (7a). Attach each

to make a second blank.

2 On a 14 mm eight-petal blank, mark the center of each petal 1⁄16 in. (1.5 mm) from the edge of the blank. Using a ruler and the fine-tip pen, find and mark the center of the blank (2). Use the 1.25 mm hole-punch pliers to punch holes. Repeat to make a second blank.

3 Place a six-petal blank on a bench block. Using a 1 lb. (453.6 g) brass mallet and an asterisk design stamp, mark an impression approximately 1⁄16 in. (1.5 mm) above each of the six holes in the center of the petals (3a). Use a period design stamp to stamp 1⁄16 in. (1.5 mm) above each asterisk (3b). Repeat on the other six-petal flower blank.

4 On an eight-petal flower blank, stamp approximately

1⁄16 in. (1.5 mm) above each hole, alternating between the asterisk and period stamps (4). Repeat for the second eight-petal blank.

5 Place a large flower blank right side downinto a large well of a dapping block (5a). Use the brass mallet or a hammer to lightly tap a 19.8 mm dapping punch. Curve the entire large flower blank, being careful not to distort the edges. Move the blank to a slightly smaller depression, and dap again with an 18.3 mm dapping punch to

7a

it’s snug against the side of the bead and the loop sits just above the bead’s point (9b). Using chainnose pliers, bend the wire just below the loop 45° to point per-pendicular to the hole in the bead, leaving a short neck. Bend the remaining long piece of wire at a 45° angle so it lays snug against the other side of the bead (9c). Using this wire, wrap the neck from the point of the bead up toward the loop. Cut away excess wire with flush cutters (9d). Repeat with a second top-drilled chalcedony drop.

10 For the bottom section of the earring, string a 5 mm green chalcedony rondelle onto a 1-in. (25.5 mm) eye pin. Make a plain loop at the top. Connect one loop to the wire-wrapped chalcedony drop and the other loop to a 2-in. (51 mm) eye pin. On the eye pin, string one 4 mm round turquoise bead, the eight-petal component (10a), and one more 4 mm turquoise bead. Make a wrapped loop at the top (10b). Repeat to make a second component. (If desired, this component can be used on its own for a smaller earring.)

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dangling chain unit to a hole in the large six-petal blank (7b). Be sure the loops that attach to the blank are large enough for the units to dangle freely. Repeat for the second large blank.

8 String a 3 mm fire-polished bead, a 3 mm daisy spacer, and a 4 mm turquoise bead onto a 1-in. (25.5 mm) head pin. Make a plain loop above the turquoise bead (8a). Repeat to make a total of eight dangles. Attach each dangle through a hole in the small eight-petal blank (8b). Repeat for the second small blank.

9 String a top-drilled chalcedony drop bead on a 2-in. (51 mm) eye pin. Leave approximately 1⁄8 in. (3 mm) of bare wire between the loop and the bead (9a). Bend the 1⁄8 in. (3 mm) of wire 45° so that

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Kate Richbourg has fostered creativity in the bead industry for over 17 years by teaching and devel-oping classes at

various stores throughout the country.

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9c 9d

11a 11b 11c

11 For the top section of the earring, string a 5 mm green chalcedony rondelle on a 1-in. (25.5 mm) eye pin, and make a loop at the top. Connect one loop to the completed bottom component and the other to a 2-in. (51 mm) eye pin (11a). String the six-petal component, a 5 mm daisy spacer, and a 4 mm turquoise bead onto the eye pin (11b). Make a wrapped loop (Basics). Attach an ear wire to the top loop (11c). Repeat to make a second earring.

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designer’s noteBe sure the wrapped loops are snug. A loose wrap will make the component hang at an awkward angle.