Falling Leaves Earrings Project Download

Description

Build these fun and textured earrings while increasing your sawing, filing, and soldering skills. Mix copper, silver, and brass together to add color that higlights a striking cabochon stone. Once you have the basics down the potential for design variation is endless.

Required Materials:

• 22-24 gauge sterling sheet
• Easy, medium, and hard solder
• 18-20 gauge sterling wire
• 24 gauge sterling wire, 1 inch
20-22 gauge sterling wire Bezel wire
• 24 gauge copper sheet
• 24 gauge brass sheet
• 2 bumblebee cabs, about 1 inch square each
• Earring posts and backs
• Appropriate size drill bit for the wire of your choice

Tools: >

• LAYOUT: rubber cement or glue stick, scissors
• HAND AND FABRICATION: assorted needle files, texture hammer, jeweler’s saw, #3/0 saw blades, center punch, curved burnisher,
  AA fine pointed tweezers, #52 drill bit
• SOLDERING: flux, flux brush, soldering surface, fire brick or charcoal, torch, pickle copper tongs, solder pick and burn ’em up pliers (old cheap extra long chain nose pliers)
• FINISHING: Bur-Life, rotary tool with a small drill bit, round and chain nose pliers, bezel pusher, 3-4 pink 3M radial bristle
  discs mounted on a mandrel, soft brass bush, liquid Dawn detergent, liver of sulfur, 15 and 9 micron 3M finishing film
  or green Scrubbie, acrylic nail emery board
• SAFETY: Don’t forget your safety glasses!
• OPTIONAL: ring or bracelet mandrel, rawhide mallet

Technique: Sawing, Filling, Soldering
Originally Published: Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist August 2014