Silver Pearl Pierces

Some things just don’t translate well. :p I’ve been looking through my Japanese Bead Books and of course I am missing some of what I need for some of the projects I want to make.  So frustrating.  So I decided to make a pair of earrings. I started out with my”Beads Jewelry For Gift” book. The translations crack me up.

I don’t read a lick of Japanese, so it has been an interesting endeavor. I have found though the the diagrams are very good. I have to guess on the sizes of the seed beads, but in the chart that goes with the pattern it tells you how many of each bead you need, as well as what mm the bead is. I think that I will be able to figure out  most of the patterns that I want to make, I just need to learn order everything at once.

I decided to ease into it  with earrings, which seemed simple enough. I am so glad that I went to the store yesterday because I needed size 15 beads in silver and all I had were size 11. I made two sets of earrings. In the pair on the left, I followed the directions as best as I could interpret them. For the pair on the right, I did it  my way. These are very delicate earrings. I have the camera set to macro so that you can see them. That makes the knots look very visible, although sharper scissors would probably help.

To make the earrings in the book you will need:

(6) 4mm pearls (I used swarovski because they are very uniform)

Small link Silver Chain

Size 15 seed beads.

Ear Wires

Thin silver wire (I used 26 gauge)

Round nose pliers

Wire cutters

scissors

a needle

thread (I used fireline)

I also put a dab of clear nail polish on each of my knots.

To start off you want to take the 4mm pearls and the silver wire and make links out of them. Don’t make wrapped loops, just simple ones. make them as small as you can. You also want to take the chain and cut 4 segments that are 3 links long, and 2 segments that are 2 links long. This is tiny stuff.

I wish that I had more photos of this next bit, but the camera was taken so that my daughter could finish up her Science fair project. You are trying to make the piece on the right. Leave enough of a tail so that you can easily tie it off. You will string 8 seed beads on, run the thread through one loop of a pearl,string 4 seed beads, run the thread through an end loop of one of the 3 segment chains, 4 more seed beads and then pass through the loop on the other side of the pearl. Thread through it all again so that the thread goes through everything twice, and then tie it off. Clip it as closely as you can without cutting the knot. I then dab the know with a little bit of clear nail polish.

This photo is actually taken from the second pair of earrings, but i want you to see the basic assembly. In the last step you added a little bit of chain to the beaded pearl. For the center part of the earring you are going to pick up the other end of that chain. You are also going to add another 3 link piece of chain to the other side. So, you are going to string on 4 seed beads, the chain from the first component and then four more seed beads. Pick up another pearl and run your thread through one of the wire loops, add 4 seed beads, another 3 link piece of chain, 4 more seed beads and then pass the thread through the other loop on the pearl. Pass the thread through everything and tie it off just as you did the first pearl.  Basically you are making a circle and then passing the thread through everything a second time. The 16 beads are divided in to quarters, with metal loops and 3 and 9 o’clock and chain at 12 and 6 o’clock.

The last piece is added in the same way. Instead of adding another 3 link chain, you will add a 2 link chain. Once I got it together I just slipped the last link of chain on to an ear wire.

I hit a few obstacles. Some of my wire loops were a little bit to big, so they slid over the seed beads willy nilly. I had to go back and tighten them up a bit. Also, I didn’t get two of them closed all the way. While I was trying to string things on, the pearl kept falling off. Again I had to go back and tighten them up. That probably wouldn’t be a problem for someone with lots of practice in the wire wrap department. For me it was sort of like trying to tie thread around an open jump ring. I found it to be a bit irritating.

The earrings are pretty, but I thought I could make something similar without having to mess with the wire. I’m not very confident when it comes to using wire.  My version is a little more streamlined. Taking out the wire also saves time. Mine go together faster. While it isn’t much you are also saving yourself the expense of the wire.

I started by stringing 1 seed bead,1 4mm pearl and then another seed bead. Again you want to make sure that you leave enough of  tail so that you can easily tie off your thread.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Take your needle and thread it back through the 4mm pearl.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Once you pull it through, you are going to pass the needle through the first seed bead. BUT you are going to go thread your needle the same way you did the first time, so that the needle is moving towards the pearl.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This is what you are shooting for. These two seed beads will anchor the remaining seed beads. In the first pair of earrings we used 16 seed beads for each pearl. We are only going to use 14 with this method. From this point it is assembled just like the other set, only instead of using sets of 4 beads you will be using sets of 3. since this is the first pearl, you want to add 6 seed beads and then pass the needle through the seed bead on the other side (instead of the wire loop in the first method) Add 3 more seed beads, one end of a 3 link piece of chain and then three more seed beads. Run the thread through the beads around the pearl one more time and then tie off just as you would have in the first set of earrings.

Back to this photo. Start the second pearl the same way so that you have 2 seed beads to anchor to. Thread on 3 seed beads and pick up the chain from the first pearl, 3 more seed beads and run the thread through the anchor bead on the other side. Add 3 more seed beads, the next 3 link piece of chain, 3 more seed beads and then run the thread all the way around again. Once you get back to your tail, tie it off.  On the third pearl you will add the shorter piece of chain and use that to attach it to the ear wire.
 
 

This shows one of each of the earrings together so that you can see the difference between the two.  remember that this is a macro photo, the knots are not nearly as visible on the finished product. I used the crystal fireline.

I like my version better. :p I’ve been scrutinizing them for a couple of hours now.  They are very, very delicate earrings though.  From a few feet away I can’t even see the wires in the original version. I can however see that mine have a “rounder” appearance.
Clicky Here for Beads jewelry for gift book