Hello 2012 and Home Made Jewellery

Last night we said goodbye to 2011 with a bang like usual when it comes with celebrating with fireworks and I also ended 2011 with my first blog entry on the nail polish that I had used a few times and I had just applied again then.

Image author Rob Chandler, Image Source, Wikimedia Commons, reused under liscence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

 

Today as we turn a new leaf in entering 2012 I have been thinking about small shiny pretty things that most girls drool over and that is jewellery but I am not just thinking about any jewellery. I am thinking about the home made kind where each piece is handmade to whatever design comes to your head (or in my case whatever design you are actually able to make with the tools and products that you have on hand!)

I made my first hand made piece of jewellery about mid last year and the reason why was to save the life a pretty floral bracelet that my Babcia (Grandmother) gave me when she came to Australia when I was a little girl. Usually when a precious piece of jewellery breaks I put it aside and wait until I go to my local shopping centre to get it fixed but this time when this silver floral bracelet broke for the 10^th time I decided that it wasn’t worth going to the jeweller with it to get it fixed since he said that the silver of the bracelet is too soft for the weight of silver used.

Therefore I went into the garage and picked out some side cutters, a metal file, a pair of flat nose pliers and a small pair of round nose pliers which I took back home and layed out on the office table and I brought down the broken bracelet and some old cheap earring (that I could destroy for the wire or so called ‘spare parts’) that I couldn’t wear because I cannot wear anything that is not silver or gold and I sat there wondering what I should do.

One thing was clear and that was that trying to mend the bracelet was a no-no as it keeps on breaking in the same place. So after a bit of thinking I decided that I was going to make a earring and pendent set out of it but first I was going to have to think about how I am to do it so that I don’t ruin any of the flowers of the bracelet. For that reason I took out a pen and paper so I could draw what was possibilities I had with this piece and I must admit that since I had no experience and no idea’s I didn’t get too far.

My next decision was to go and have a look at the earrings that I have already in my possession for ideas. The simplest earring choice were to make basic or shepherd hook earrings but the weight of the flower may be too heavy for basic hook style and I never liked wearing that type anyway as I am always scared off losing the earring. Therefore the only option I had left that seemed approachable for me was to cut each flower off the pendant so that they still had one loop attached to the top of each flower and to cut off the bottom loop that attached them to the next flower and file it down that end to smooth off the rough edges so it looked like this:

One flower from my silver braclet that was too heavy and kept on breaking. I completely cut off the loop at the bottom of this flower that attached this flower to the next and filed down the rough edges whilst kept the loop at the top of the flower.

I then made another loop around the silver loop at the top end the earring like so:

One flower pieces that had been cut from my bracelet, I added a second loop to the loop at the top of the flower.

I then attach them onto lock-on-ear-hook style earring which surprising took no time at all and looked good but the only issue was that the metal I used was cheap and therefore I would not be able to use it. (Sorry that there is no image but I have chucked out the budget metal hooks I made because they were of no use to me.)

Therefore I researched on the internet where I could buy precious metal and went into the city to buy some 0.8mm 9ct gold and -0.8mm 925 silver wire.When I got home I was a bit weary about not using too much since the gold is quite expensive and I had a feeling I would be making a lot more earrings for myself in the future so I was wondering what style would made pretty earrings that does not use too much metal and it came to me. I can make a basic pair of hoops where I can interchange the pendant to whatever style suits my mood. So first I decided to measure my ears (from my pierced ear hole to the base of my lobe) and drew up a model I was going to see the shape I was to use before getting to work. It did take a while since I was working from scratch and it was hard to get the loops to look the same but here is the end result of the hoops with the floral pendants attached (which I must say now, they do seem to look a bit like the Pandora Style earrings but are quite a bit larger and not so perfect):

Full set of earrings and pendents. Earring hoops made from 9ct gold, pendents are made of 925 silver.

Since I was quite pleased with myself I have made some more some with some beads that I have taken off necklaces that I own so that I have matching earrings and others are from beads I have either bought in store here is Australia or Murano beads I bought in Venice.

Blue coloured Murano Glass (Glass bought in Venice) earring and pendent set all set in 9ct gold.

Amber floral drops, Earring hoops are 9ct gold, entire pendent made from 925 silver.

Crystal Chandelier earrings, hoops are 9ct gold, entire pendent is made from 925 silver.

Hope you enjoyed and maybe found some inspiration to make some of your own jewellery!

Happy New Year! And have a lovely year in 2012!