Like the futuristic fashionista herself, these Judy Jetson earrings are a cosmic gem! With cool spiral shapes that capture bright neon pearls they will instantly add a pop of color and dimension to your style.
Step one:
Cut three 9 ½ inch pieces of 20 gauge square sterling silver wire. The length of wire is dependent on the size of the beads. 9 ½ inches is a good length of wire for the 8mm beads but you may want to adjust the length if you will be using a different size. Set two of the wires aside for now.
Step two:
Bend the last 1 inch of wire on both ends at 90 degree angles, facing opposite directions. Use round nose pliers to grip one end at the angle so the wire tail is held parallel with the pliers. Curve the wire around the round nose pliers to make a small loop. See alternate images for an example. Then, hold the loop firmly with chain nose pliers and wrap the wire end around the loop a couple of times. Do this for the other wire end as well, moving the spirals towards each other. Work on the spirals from both ends so it is easier to keep them the same size. Continue spiraling the ends toward each other until they meet in the middle. For more help, read our Handy Tip on how to make a wire spiral. Roll the two ends together so one lies on top of the other. The wire work should look like a flat spring with a straight wire tail sticking out from both sides.
Step three:
Gently pull the wire tails apart like a spring. Use a pair of chain nose pliers to help separate the wires so they create a spiraled "cage." Finish the wire ends with a simple loop.
Step four:
Repeat Steps two and three for the other two wire pieces.
Step five:
Spread each cage apart in the middle and insert one bead. We chose to use Swarovski 8mm round pearls in Neon Pink, Neon Yellow and Neon Orange. Close each cage with pliers.
Step six:
Connect the pink cage to the yellow cage and the yellow cage to the orange cage by attaching the simple loops together like a chain. Attach the top loop of the pink cage to one sterling silver slim angled earwire. Snip the bottom loop off the orange cage and use a file to smooth the wire end.
Tools and Supplies Used:
ZambaPro® Round Nose Pliers (TOOL-108)
ZambaPro® Chain Nose Pliers (TOOL-106)
Side Cutters - Semi Flush (TOOL-131)
ZambaPro® Nylon Jaw Pliers (TOOL-105)
Sterling Silver Wire Square 20 Gauge 1 troy oz (15ft) (SSWS20HH1)
3PC 5 1/2-Inch Needle File Set Cut 2 (TOOL-0018)
List of Components:
Swarovski 5810 8mm Round Pearl Neon Pink (5810-NPI8, qty 2)
Swarovski 5810 8mm Round Pearl Neon Orange (5810-NOR8, qty 2)
Swarovski 5810 8mm Round Pearl Neon Yellow (5810-NYE8, qty 2)
Sterling Silver Slim Angled Earwire (SS-EAR32, qty 2)
Alternate Components:
These are fun alternatives to those listed above:
Gold-Filled Wire Round 20 Gauge HALF HARD-Approx. 1 troy oz (GFWR20HH1)
Ball End Earwire (GF-EAR15)
Swarovski 5810 8mm Round Pearl Petrol (5810-PET8)
Swarovski 5810 8mm Round Pearl Red Coral (5810-RCO8)
Swarovski 5810 8mm Round Pearl Pearl Platinum (5810-PLP8)
