Chain, Jewelry Wire & Gemstones Earrings Jewelry Making Project -- Page 1

This jewelry making project combines chain, jewelry wire and gemstones to make the chandelier earrings shown at right.  The earrings shown are made with pink Cubic Zirconia  (CZ).  The pink CZs appear identical to pink diamonds, only without the inclusions or flaws that are almost always present in natural, mined gemstones.  The larger of the two gemstones is 10 mm which is the same size as a 4 carat diamond.  The smaller of the two gemstones is 8mm which is the same size as a 2 carat diamond.  We really like these earrings and think that they would look good with any color of gemstone.  Would you call these 6 carat earrings because each earring has 6 carats of gemstones, or would you call them 12 carat earrings because the pair has 12 carats of gemstones?  Either way, these earrings will get noticed; just don't tell anyone how little you paid for them. 

This is an advanced beginner to intermediate jewelry making project.  It uses one of our jigs with a round peg pattern like the WigJig Centaur, WigJig Cyclops or WigJig Electra and one 3/4" Super Peg for that jig.  The body of this earring is made of two wire components combined rather than trying to make one complex wire component.  We use this approach frequently because it is far easier to make and combine two wire components than to try to make one complex wire component. 

Our free step-by-step instructions for making these earrings begin on the following web page.
 

Skills Required:

• Ability to make a loop in wire.
• Ability to bend wire to make wire components on a jewelry making jig.
• Ability to open and close loops.
• Ability to make jump rings and modified figure 8 connectors. 
• Ability to cut with with a flush cutter.
• Ability to straighten wire with nylon jaw pliers.