Soldered Circle Hoop Earrings With Beads Tutorial

Today we are so excited to share with you a guest tutorial, brought to you by Kirsty from Little Black Cat Jewellery!

In this project you will combine a range of techniques including forming metal, sawing, soldering, polishing and wire wrapping.

This is a great design to try if you want to dip your toes into the wonderful world of metalsmithing.

Or perhaps you've always focused on metalsmithing, so now could be the time to add some beads into the mix - as you can see the results can be beautiful!

If you try this design, we'd love to see your creations on social media! Make sure to tag @kernowcraft & @littleblackcatjewellery for a chance to feature

For the soldered circles

• 1.5mm sterling silver round wire
• Looping pliers or something round like a dapping punch or solid round pen
• Bench peg and anvil
• Jewellers saw & blade
• Safety goggles
• Easy solder paste
• Gas torch
• Soldering block
• Soldering tweezers & third hand
• Water for quenching, safety pickle & plastic tweezers
• Chasing hammer or your chosen hammer
• Steel block
• Masking tape
• Your chosen polishing method: we recommend polishing papers/barrelling machine

For the wire wrapped beads

• Headpins (ensure they are flexible enough to wire wrap and also fit through your chosen bead) - this project featured our sterling silver extra fine 52mm heapins with balls, sold as a pack of 10
• 2 beads - this project features labradorite rondelle beads
• Sterling silver earwires with ball
• Round nose pliers
• Snipe nose pliers or bent nose pliers as featured (only available as part of our pack of pliers)
• Side cutters/flush cutters

Step 1: Form The Loops

Use your wire looping pliers to wrap the sterling silver round wire to create a double wrap of silver, which should look like the one pictured above!

Step 2: Saw Loops To Create 2 Rings

Use your saw to cut through the loops to create 2 rings and ensure the ends of the rings are flush together and as tight as possible ready to solder.

Step 3: Solder Rings Together

Apply solder paste to the joins and use a gas torch to heat the rings until the solder flows, then quench in water.

Step 4: Texture & Pickle

Tape your circles down onto a steel block and use the round end of the hammer to texture the circles on both sides until your desired texture is achieved. Place into safety pickle solution to clean, ready for polishing.

Step 5: Polish

Pickle the circles to clean the use your favourite polishing method to give them a shiny finish - we personally love using polishing papers! Kirsty uses wire wool and then pops the circles into a barrelling machine to polish hers.

Step 6: Attach Wire Wrapped Beads

Thread your bead onto the headpin so that it sits on the head. Create a loop with the headpin by wrapping it around the tip of round nose pliers. Before wire wrapping to secure, add the loop to your soldered circle and use snipe nose pliers or flat nose pliers to hold the loop flat whilst you wrap the remaining headpin wire around on its self and down towards the bead. You can use round nose pliers or your hands to wrap the wire. Wrap the headpin until there is no excess remaining - if you can not do this before the bead starts you can trim it off with side cutters. For a neat finish use snipe nose pliers to squeeze the end of headpin close into the coil. Repeat for the other earring.

HAVE A QUESTION?

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team who will be more than happy to give you advice over email or on the phone.

You can learn more and find inspiration by visiting our Jewellery Making Tutorials, Jewellery Making Kits and YouTube Channel. Don't forget to follow us on social media and tag us in your designs on Instagram & Facebook, we would love to see!