Metalsmith class – How to make a Teardrop earring
Teardrop earrings are one of my favorites, and normally I don’t leave the house without a pair on my ears. However, the last few months I wasn’t able to wear any due to Bailey, he kept grabbing them, which wasn’t fun! The desperate times are over, teardrops are going back on my ears!
You know I like to keep my tutorial all simple and easy to make. But today I like to go a step further and actually use some heat on my jewelry. So, I was thinking why not give you a little class in Metalsmith?
I used a metal cutting shear to cut the wire, this gives the wire a nice straight edge and you don’t have to cut or saw again. To bend the wire into a teardrop shape I used a mandrel, while this method works great for someone that likes to make their own jewelry. I would suggest for sellers, to use a rawhide hammer on the round part of the teardrop. Hammering out imperfections and dents makes a big difference, plus your metal will get harder by doing so.
A mini torch is a great starter, they are inexpensive and easy to handle, perfect beginners tool.
You also need some flux. Flux can help you predict when the metal is hot enough to flow, that will be as well as protect your metal from some unwanted side effects of that heat.
Quenching after soldering and pickling is important. First, to cool the piece and second to balance the metal out after being in some acidic solutions. I use a tablespoon of baking soda in my quenching water.
When cleaning up jewelry solder, a pickling solution is the most effective and tried and true method to get jewelry as clean as possible. It’s very effective at removing oxidation and flux. (Pennybrite is a great pickling product)
With the first steps done, and a shiny pair of teardrops, which you can also get ready made from JBBead. Let’s move onto the second part of this little class…
I used 3mm round pink coral beads to give my teardrops a playful look.
With my first Metalsmith class complete, I like to hear from you:
- Would you like to see more classes?
- Would you even consider subscribing to an online class right here on OhEverythingHandmade?
- Or are you not interested in classes, like this one?
Go ahead and comment below.
