Who's into earrings, drilling pics added.

[Allen]

As a cabber and pendant maker I have had many an inquiry for earrings.

But who wants to fiddle with little things like that?

Well I tried out a couple. Cut a small agate nodule in half then thin slabs on the trim saw to get matching pairs.

Think I'm hooked now.

Any advise is welcome.

Pink stones 25mm

Red stones 30mm

Green stones 35mm

[Mark]

Allen, those are cool.  I know earrings are hot, they are smaller and therefore cheaper and therefore sell much better than big pendants.  Problem for me is the small cabs.  I don't dop, i hand hold, but the cabs for earrings are too small to hand hold.  So i got my dop sticks out and wax and made a batch.  I just think they are a lot of trouble and would rather make larger pieces.  Your stone only earrings without bezels look a lot more fun to do to me.  Maybe i should do some of those.  How hard is it to drill stone?  For Christmas i made a beach glass pendant and drilling a piece of hard glass was a nightmare.  It took so long.  I would guess stone, at least jasper types would be easier.  Keep up the great work, now how about some agate rings.

Mark

[Allen]

One step at a time Mark.

Mike has given some great ideas recently for rings, but they need to wait a while.

Drilling the agate is a pain, it's so hard. A little more practice and learning required there.

[zirconx]

As An earring wearer, the only thing you have to watch out for with stone earrings is they shouldn't be too heavy.  Hard on the lobes.  Love your work!  Bev

[DonniesTreasures]

Allen, I absolutely LOVE those!  More, more, more, please!

[ScarlettoSara]

Every lady artist I have ever talked too said you had to have a good selection of earrings to keep your sales up.
Like Mark said, they are usually less costly and Allen... all ladies want a different set of earrings to wear each day:)
We can never have too many earrings:) Love these, love the silver wraps and the stones. Just not too heavy as Bev said,  as we wont wear them but one time if they are:)
I want to see more of these too as everything you show me is fascinating:)

[Freeform]

Mark, its time to start dopping. 

Question is, what is a good size for earrings? I say no bigger than 20mm. But that is just my opinion. I dont make them much either as Im in the Mark club. But ive had several requests for them already dangnagit. 

I really like them loose like that and them are killer agates. Those yellow ones are awesome! Thanks for sharing and reminding me.

[spirit bear beads]

Allen those are KILLER!  I love them, as an earring wearer, and I have hundreds of pairs of earrings.

  BUT from an craftsman point of view, I would say they are a pain in the ****.  To have a matched pair like that, it is actually DOUBLE the work of a pendant.  So just curious what price would you put on them?  The buying public's perception seems to be that since they are smaller they should cost less.  Whereas my time invested is, as I said, double.

[skystone]

I'll second or third? That about the work involved in earings. I usually only make them as a set with a necklace. People think earings should be super cheap because they are small. They have no idea of the work involved. I've been to pow-wos & Indian markets & stood next to women who want to make "offers" or "would you takes" on earings that are already cheaper than I'd do them for. I've even turned to them & said "lady I wouldn't even light my torch for what you're offering". But those are really nice Allen & I hope you can get a very good price for all you great work.
Mike

[tetonartgallery]

I sell three pair of ER to each pendant. Size. Bigger the better - if - you can keep the light. Price I find that ladies would rather spend $100 than  40' but manywantthem at less than 30 A mix of price points works best - price the best looking ones high, then offer some at cheap - drag em in with the wow and sell them the price point they want.  It is amazing if you sell your items too low they are not appreciated, women want to pamper themselves som buyers can not spend too much on themselves and their boyfriends have a dollar amt in mind when ther start shopping,  if they see something they like at that price point, or slightly more they go for it.  the store setting must be correct too. jMHO

[39don]

Allen it looks as though we are all on the same wave link on the earrings. It's most time consuming and a pain but the wife wants more earrings.

I, like you and the rest have devised my way to get this done. This is the less painful way for me.

My Simple Earrings Stones


2mm/.080" thick with a 1mm/.040" drilled hole


When I'm slabing new material I will slab a few slabs 2mm thick using the slowest feed rate I have. On the hard materials it's as if they are almost finished polished. I will polish the whole slab both sides then shape and polish the edges, then drill holes.


The wife can choose which pendant to use the matching earrings to wear whenever..​....Wildho​rse Picture Jasper.


This is my first set of earrings using the same method of grinding..​..Blue Lace Agate


Currently I have many 2mm slabs to make more earrings but for some reason I keep putting them off.

Hey Mark you can do it this way and not grind off your fingers........ha..ha..ha....anyway not as bad.

Don

[ScarlettoSara]

Beautiful sets Don:)
Its good when men listen to their wives and/or girfriends:) LOL

[Taogem]

Adrian.. You and others have good success drilling.. I just can't seem to gety a handle on it, or I would make a lot of earrings.

So I am left with having to do a little silverwork in order to make them..

Mostly, I just offer the cabs to others who like to make them too..

Your earrings are all beautiful !

[tetonartgallery]

I slab 'em thin throw them in the tumbler what ever doesn't break up too small match up and shape into ER pairs.   

[Steve]

Those are a great way to make simple inexpensive earrings................I like them all............

I do have a suggestion though............I think the wire wrapping should be finished better.  Looking at these motivated me to do a simple tutorial on doing a thru stone wire wrap bale that can be used for both earrings and pendants........

http://gemstone.smfforfree4.com/index.php/topic,9290.0.html

I hope this helps..............

[Mark]

When i was drilling my beach glass i found out that normal drills do not work on glass and that you need a special glass drill bit.  They are expensive and strange looking and work, though slowly.  Do you use a special drill on stones like agates and jaspers?

Mark

[ScarlettoSara]

Thank you Steve:) Nice clean look:)

[Allen]

The replies have been great.

In summary ear rings are a pain to make, but the demand is higher than pendants.

Don's method of thin flat slices or tetonarts tumbling are the simpler methods, my stones are domed.

From the ladies as in life keep the weight down. Mine may be a little thick and weigh 4gm each made up.

Drilling the hole. PPP Practice, perseverance & patience are prime elements.
Best results so far is with 0.75mm triple ripple diamond drill, needs to spin at 5000rpm+.
The stone submerged in water, with the drill in a drill press. This drill has done 18 holes in agate and still going.
Too much pressure is fatal. I found just tapping the drill press handle with an open hand is enough.
Just tapping restricts the pressure and allows water into the cutting zone.
The drill

Tapping drill press handle

Enlarging hole, to be done in water again with a tapered diamond burr.
 

The sale price advise sounds good. The work into mine being double sided cabs means I will need to ask in the higher amounts that some may wish to pay.

Finely Steve has solved the bail problem with his wire wrap tutorial.