Ruby, Freshwater Pearl and Sterling Silver Earrings

I made these earrings entirely by hand with sterling silver wire, small ruby rondelles and silver fresh water pearls.  I cut the base pieces for the earrings and wrapped with a lighter gauge of sterling wire and added the ruby beads that I estimate at 2.5mm.  Yes, the sizes seem to vary a bit and yes, they do have inclusions...  I could say that's how you know they're real!  Instead of using a head pin and wrapping the pearl, I used sterling wire and really wrapped it!  I used another double wrapped piece to connect the main part of the earring to the dangle and then wrapped the top.  I used 20 gauge for the ear wires and wrapped the front a bit.  You may want to use a lighter gauge for the ear wires if someone hasn't worn earrings all that long.  You might try 22 gauge and that will be thinner.  I like the simple wire vs. a rounded ones or a long contemporary style.  It had to make sense with this pair.  There are  lots of different styles of wires you could make, but one thing that's for sure, store bought wires or lever backs are really expensive right now.  These really have an Eastern Indian feel and I just love them.  Thanks for looking!

Handmade Sterling Silver OM Pendant with Sewn on Fresh Water Pearls!

Wanted to share a photo of a pendant I finished with the pearls last night.  I roller milled both pieces of silver, hand stamped the OM design, I riveted it together, drilled holes all the way around, wire wrapped the bail, oxidized the metal, sanded it, sewed silver and lavender fresh water pearls around the edges, wire wrapped and hung a large pearl off the bottom and.... I guess that's it!  I've never seen anyone sew stones to a pendant like this and it was kind of a spontaneous idea of mine.  Thanks for looking!  Yes, I've already listed it on my Etsy shop and can't wait to see what kind of activity I get on it!

The Quilted Heart Pendant

I've had some sample milled pieces of silver and also some scrap I wanted to use.  Sterling silver was about $38.50 and ounce the last time I stopped to pick up some wire last week, so it's become a bit of a fun challenge to see how much of it I can use and then use smaller pieces for other projects.

I cut out the little rectangle and then sawed out a small asymmetrical heart out of some scrap.  They call this cold fusion, but it's really two pieces of metal that have been drilled and you use the same gauge of silver wire, trim it and use a chasing hammer to rivet.  I've had so much fun riveting!

I also had the idea to drill random holes around the edges of the metal and thread faceted gemstones all the way around.  This reminds me of the cardboard pieces children use with shoe laces to practice sewing.  Maybe some of us have tried that when we were tots!  I used peridot and various colors of watermelon tourmalines around the edges.  I think this looks like a framed piece of art or a framed photo.  I've never seen this done before and I will call it a Julie original!

Sterling Silver Leaf Pendants

I made some smaller pendants with oak leaves roller milled onto them.  I've left more of a satin finish on these and I really like the simple, distressed look.  I will be making some pretty dangles to wear with the pendants.  The leaves for these three pendants were collected near Tonto Creek in Arizona.

I've just collected more leaves, moss and grasses last weekend to use with these projects.  The pictured container of leaves were collected near the Mogollon Rim of Arizona.  It's a fun thing to do while you're out hiking and the scenery is spectacular!  The lake area I like to visit will be closing soon for the season and snow should soon follow.  Well, I hope!  Thanks for looking.