Leaf Earrings

I made some sterling silver leaf and smoky quartz earrings, and I thought it would be fun to share some of the process. The photos are clickable to enlarge.

First, I gathered my materials:

Then got ready to solder my basic leaf shapes. Looks like the teenager decided to graffiti the charcoal block:

Soldering the leaf pieces closed:

After soldering, I used pliers to form the final leaf shape:

Leaves need stems (and stems make convenient places to attach other parts of the earrings):

Melting wee pieces of solder to affix the stem. Fire burn and cauldron (flux, in this case) bubble:

And next come the veins:

First one is finished and very messy. I never said I was the tidiest jeweller ever! I wasted a lot of silver:

I tried to do cleaner work on this one so I wouldn't have as much filing work and silver waste. The second leaf is MUCH tidier!:

Well, except for the firescale and flux residue, that is. Ick:

Cleaned, filed, polished, smoky quartz briolettes wire-wrapped and attached, and ear wires made:

Oxdised, polished again, cleaned again, ready to sell! TA-DAAAA! As I've said before, soldering and metalwork isn't my strong area (that is the exact reason that Derek sets all of the cabochons!), so any time I have a success I am insanely pleased with myself. I'm very happy with how these turned out:

Shimmer of the day: Smoky Quartz
Quartz helps to clear away negativity. It is believed that quartz is one of the most protective gemstones and it will guard the spirit as it enhances spiritual growth and wisdom. It is beneficial for cleansing the emotions and heightening creativity and inspiration. Quartz aids in concentration and retaining information. A master healing stone, quartz elevates energy and can be used for any condition.

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