How to Make Cubic Zirconia Earrings Jewelry Making Technique -- Page 4

Please see the pictures at right for two views of our Ax Pendant CZs made into earrings using a wrapped loop.  The steps to complete these earrings begin below.  This is an advanced beginners technique. 

Step 1:  Cut a 4" segment of 22 or 24 gauge wire. 

Step 2:  Straighten the wire by pulling it through the jaws of your nylon jaw pliers.

Step 3:   Grasp the wire about 1 1/2 inches from one end with your bent chain nose pliers and bend the wire 90 degrees. 

Step 4:  Using your round nose pliers make a large loop.  This loop will ultimately go through the hole in the CZ pendant and needs to be as large as possible.  You can view our instructions for making a wrapped loop here to see the individual steps. 

Step 5:  Before wrapping the loop closed, insert the short end of the wire through the hole in the ax pendant.  Slide the ax pendant CZ until it is in position in the loop as shown at left. 

Step 6:  Now grasp the loop in your bent chain nose pliers immediately above the just completed loop and hold the loop tightly while you wrap the short wire tail around the longer wire segment about 1 and 1/2 times.  Holding the loop in your pliers helps to retain the round shape of the loop while providing stability while you wrap the wire.  Cut the excess wire and using one pair of bent chain nose pliers to hold the loop and another pair of chain nose pliers to squeeze and twist the cut end flat.  This completes the bottom loop, holding the ax pendant CZ.

Step 7:  Following the same steps, make a small wrapped loop at the top of the wire segment. 

Step 8:  Connect the small wrapped loop at the top that you just completed to your ear wire finding by opening the loop in your ear wire finding, making the connection, then closing the loop.  The wrapped loop connector will probably have one side that looks better than the other.  Be certain to use the "good" side on the outside of the earrings.  This completes your earring,.