Tapered Rectangle Earring Tutorial

It has been a while since I actually sat down and did a project tutorial from start to finish. Well you are in luck. I have a project that I just finished, that I will cover in 2 posts. The first will be creating the earrings and getting them ready to set stones in them, the second part will be a tutorial on Gypsy, or Flush Setting, which will combine a step by step tutorial, AND a Video Tutorial, so let’s dive in:

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The first thing I do here is select a piece of sheet silver that I made from an ingot a while back, I measured the sheet to make sure it was thick enough for the stones I want to set in them. The stone measurement from the table to the culet is 1.4mm, so the silver sheet I selected is 1.85mm, just to make sure the culet of the stone doesn’t protrude through the back of the piece and touch the ear.

 

Next I start to layout the design. I always want to start with a straight edge, so I use my JewelryMonk Jeweler’s Square to create this edge. I Scribe a line, then saw along the outside of this line. Next, I use my # 2 Hand File to bring the edge up to the line.

Using my dividers, I scribe a parallel line the height of the design I want to create. I also scribe a 90-degree line on the side, from the top and bottom to help in the layout of the design.

I want my earring to be 6mm wide, so I scribe a line down the center of each piece at 3mm. I also leave 0.5mm in between the two pieces for my saw blade width and filing. I want a tapered rectangle look, so I measure out my shape and use my Jeweler’s Square to scribe the lines. I cut these out with my saw, and file up to the line.

Now I lay the stone where I want it in the design and scribe a center mark where I want the setting to be. I use an awl to mark a dimple and use a small ball bur (1.0mm) to start a pilot hole to drill from.

Next I will stamp the backside with a Sterling Stamp on my Steel Bench Block, because if I do it later, it will scratch and distort the piece a little. You can see the bottom got distorted a little, so I file the bottom edge flat again. I also rub the earrings on a piece of 600 Grit Sandpaper to make sure the front, back, and sides are smooth and flat.

I also want a little bevel to the top of the design, so I file and sand a beveled edge to the top edge. I use my # 4 Hand File and a Snap-On Sanding Disc to get this done. I finish up taking out the scratches with a Green Silicone Knife Edge Wheel. This takes out the finer scratches and leaves a smooth flat edge.

When working on flat pieces, I will take a piece of gray polishing compound and rub it on a thick piece of paper. I make sure the paper is on a flat area, then I rub the flat pieces across the compound-loaded paper with my finger in a circular motion. This leaves a very smooth and shiny surface.

Now the earrings are ready to set some stones in them. In the next post, I will drill the stone seats, solder an earring post on them, set the stones and polish.

The majority of the tools used in creating this earring are available at a discounted price at jewelrymonk.com/tools. Most are limited quantities, and will not last long.

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Now as always, thanks for stopping by.

Now, Go make something Shiny!

Doug