The Magic of Opal: Simple Earrings

I bought a jar of Idaho Opal, and along with many pendants, I also made these earrings for my California Hippie Chicklet. Here's the step by step process.

I found a piece which would allow me to cut two teardrops. Using the same precious opal strata in one chunk of ore would make for the best color/fire match. This piece happened to be pink.





I blanked out the backings from flat sterling and formed the bezels from stamped sterling rod.



I then silver soldered the bezels to the backings.



Apparently I've used my image limit in this post.

To be continued...

 

I cleaned up the flux and excess silver solder and drilled holes for the hooks with a dremel and a dental bit.



I polished the bezels and then worked the stones with a diamond file for a nice snug fit. The hooks were fashioned from sterling wire and flattened by the curve with a small ball peen hammer to help retain their shapes.



I then installed and silver soldered the rings of the hooks closed to prevent accidental loss. I found the pic of the final product and my improvised case for them.

 

Thank you for putting the threads together lace_and_feet!

 

You're welcome. Next time you want to add more to a thread but you have exceeded your image limit, you can simply reply to the same thread rather than starting a new one.

Great project, by the way.

 

Those are beautiful! Thanks for posting that.

 

Thanks Levi. They were fun to make. By the way...I finally found the pic of the finished product and added it to the original post.

 

The earrings are beutiful! I would love to learn how to work silver and stone like that. Where did you learn how to make jewelery? I currently just put together jewelery from findings I buy. I would love to learn how to really make my own. Thanks for showing what you've done.

 

Just sort of picked it up. I've always played around with silver but opal is my first experience with working stones.

 

Dang, those are really nice
I had no idea that is how backed gem stone jewlery was made. I love seeing processes, so thank you for sharing!
What do you use to cut the opal?

 

Those are gorgeous...I wish I had a pair. Thanks for taking the time to post all the pictures too, it's always so fun seeing how things are made.

 

I use a diamond wheel with a dremel to rough shape the opals and then use a very fine diamond file for the fine shaping work.

 

You're welcome. It was fun making them.