Colorful enamel pierced dangle leaf earrings gorgeous colors of red/blue/gold, sterling silver earwires.

Last pair in a series of one-of-a-kind,  leaf shaped earrings with a cut out opening for added interest. The colors of red/golden yellow/blue/brown are just gorgeous and will go with so many outfits! They measure 2 3/8" in total length, from the top of the ear wire to the bottom of the earrings. These earrings are the same pretty shade of blue on the back as one of the colors used on the front, so they are beautifully finished on all sides! The ear wires are sterling silver with a copper ball detail.

Multiple layers of vitreous glass powders in various colors in a process called "crackle" come together to create this little piece of art! They have incredible dimension visually due to the multiple layers of color! These are truly one-of-a-kind and can not be made exactly the same way ever again! I can reproduce them similarly, however, as I have kept detailed notes on the many layers, firing times and color codes I used in each pair. I do accept orders for additional pairs but please know that they will not be exactly as pictured, but they will be similar and close.

Interested in knowing more about the process of vitreous enamel? If so, read on….. And if not, just know these are a quality, beautifully finished, handmade pair of one-of-a-kind earrings lovingly made in my home studio (my happy place)! Most of my enamel jewelry starts with a piece of copper that has been cut into the shape I envision my completed piece to be. Holes are drilled at this point, rough edges are sanded and filed off and any doming/dapping of the final form occurs at this point. The piece is then carefully and thoroughly cleaned by both scrubbing as well as pickling (immersing in an acidic cleaning solution kept warm in a crock pot). Without touching the surfaces to be enameled (enamel will not adhere to any areas that have any oil from your fingers or other residues), a fine mist of a clear gummy solution is sprayed on that will help the fine enamel particles adhere. Enamel particles (glass in a powdery form) are now sifted on, which comes in various colors, particle size, and formulas. Numerous firings will occur, creating one layer over the next, most often on the front as well as the reverse side of my designs. The many layers create depth and interest as well as giving stability to the piece. Each firing is done from 2 to as many as 7 minutes, in a kiln at approximately 1500 degrees. The firings are typically done 3 to 5 times on the front and 2 to 3 times on the reverse side. Removing the piece at precisely the right time is key to the process and a small window in my kiln allows me to peak in and see what is happening. Removing the piece from the kiln at precisely the right moment is imperative. When I design a pair of earrings I fire the two pieces at the same time. Truly no two pieces are ever the same, however they will be similar to each other by doing this and will create a lovely “coordinating”, not identical, set! Vitreous enamel, the process I use, is not to be confused with resin enamel or painted enamel or enamelware or many other uses of the word “enamel”…none of which are glass powders sifted on metal and fired with a torch or in a kiln numerous times at temperatures of approximately 1500 degrees until the powder melts and adheres to the metal creating a layer of gorgeous pure glass over the metal as I have described above…vitreous enamel. Be careful…not all enamels are created equal. Also to be considered is whether or not the vitreous enamel is fired on both sides of the piece you are considering. This is much more time consuming in the creation of the piece but increases its strength and stability, making for a quality, long lasting piece of jewelry. So now you know about the process of creating vitreous enamel jewelry! Truly no two pieces are ever identical! It is a fun and rewarding process.