Teardrop Earrings and Pendant

by Judy Larson

Category: Metalwork
Technique(s): Cutting, Dapping, Filing / Finishing, Texturing, Tumbling, Butane Torch Techniques
Skill Level: Intermediate

Soldering experience is necessary to make this jewelry set IF you want to add the bezels.

Materials

24 Gauge 0.020 Dead Soft Copper Sheet Metal - 6x6 Inch

MET-705.24

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $8.43
Gold Club Price: $6.32

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Ear Wires Copper

Lesson Quantity: 2.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

1/8 inch of 3/8 inch ID pipe

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

1/8 inch of 1/4 inch ID pipe

Lesson Quantity: 2.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Amethyst chips

Lesson Quantity: 30.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

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Tools

Pro Shear

SHR-544.00

SHR-544.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.95
Gold Club Price: $9.71

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7 Piece Mini TruStrike Hammer Set with Stand

HAM-520.70

HAM-520.70
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $140.54
Gold Club Price: $105.40

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2 Ounce Rubber Head Hammer

G3-19

G3-19
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $2.97
Gold Club Price: $2.23

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Bench Block Helper with Steel and Nylon Blocks

DAP-500.30

DAP-500.30
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $29.95
Gold Club Price: $22.46

Out of Stock

Euro Punch Plier 1.50mm

PLR-133.70

PLR-133.70
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $14.97
Gold Club Price: $11.23

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Deluxe Soldering Kit

G15-5

G15-5
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $116.97
Gold Club Price: $87.73

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Pipe Cutter

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

Flat Nose Wire Pliers

G2-506

G2-506
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

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Marker -extra fine

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

6PC File Set

FIL-912.10

FIL-912.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $39.97
Gold Club Price: $29.98

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Jewlery Polishing Kit

G24-3-KIT

G24-3-KIT
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $129.82
Gold Club Price: $97.37

Out of Stock

Liver of Sulphur Gel, 2 Ounce Bottle

SOL-610.02

SOL-610.02
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.95
Gold Club Price: $9.71

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Steel wool

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each

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Instructions

Step 1

Soldering experience is necessary to make this jewelry set IF you want to add the bezels.

Step 2

Transfer the designs to your sheet metal.

Step 3

Cut the teardrops out using your preferred method for cutting sheet metal.

Step 4

File any sharp edges.

Step 5

Use a 1.5mm hole punch to make holes in the center top of each piece.

Step 6

Decide on the position of the design elements you want for your pieces. Use an ultra fine point permanent marker to draw these lines on the front of each piece.

Step 7

Place each teardrop shape on a bench block. Use the larger side of the Mini TruStrike Embossing Hammer to texture the area that will be under the bezel on each teardrop.

Step 8

Use the narrower side of the Mini TruStrike Sharp Designer Hammer to texture the outer edge of each teardrop.

Step 9

The metal pieces will no longer be flat after texturing. Place each piece on a bench block and use a rubber or plastic mallet to flatten them.

Step 10

Remove the marker lines from the pieces with an alcohol soaked pad.

Your shell pieces should now look like those above.

Step 11

You can use your textured pieces as is or add a bezel. Use a pipe cutter to cut one 1/8" piece of 3/8" ID pipe for the pendant and two 1/8" pieces of 1/4" ID pipe for the earrings.

Step 12

Drag one end of each pipe bezel over a file to flatten the ends.

Step 13

Solder the bezels in place using your preferred method

Step 14

Pickle the pieces to remove fire scale.

Step 15

Use the narrower side of the Mini TruStrike Sharp Designer Hammer to texture the top edge of the bezel.

Step 16

Tumble the pieces in steel shot to shine them up or use 0000 steel wool to polish them.

Step 17

Attach ear wires to the earrings and the bail to the pendant.

Step 18

You can leave your pieces bright and shiny, in which case you can now fill them. Or, use liver of sulfur to patina your pieces. Buff with 0000 steel wool to bring out the dimension of your texturing, then fill. Amethyst chips in resin were used here.

Copper Bezel Teardrop Earrings filled with antique glass glitter and resin.

Congratulations! You've made your first set of Teardrop Earrings and Pendant!

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!