Slender, long, modern earrings Swarovski crystal accents, black & coppery golden vitreous enamel.

These unique, one-of-a-kind handmade dangle earrings are long, slender, colorful and lightweight! I have added great depth and texture to them by way of a technique that makes the copper I have started with look like it has been corrugated. A translucent coppery golden colored enamel has been fired over the textured pattern and is visible through it. A shimmering black crystal genuine Swarovski bead at the top of these long slender earrings provides an elegant accent with its many facets reflecting the light beautifully.

These earrings measure 2 1/4" in length and 1/4" in width and as such are slender and lightweight.

The reverse side of the earrings are beautifully finished and look much like the front! We must look our best whether we are coming or going, right girls?? All kidding aside, the enameled back increases the stability and strength of the enamel in the earrings and is one of the many signs of a pair of earrings with professional quality workmanship! Ear wires are sterling silver with a copper accent bead. The shiny silver and the copper bead accent in the ear wires accents the colors of the earrings beautifully while being hypo-allergenic! 

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.