A gold-plated brass cup nestled on a white mother-of-pearl flower, and beneath them Bohème beads cascade down a chain: pastel blue, deep red, pink opal. The assembly takes five steps and two repeated motions: a simple loop, a twisted open ring...
For those who wear earrings every day and want a floral piece that is delicate enough for daily wear, colorful enough to brighten a dressy outfit.
Required tools: flat-nose pliers, round-nose pliers, wire cutters
The steps describe how to make one earring. Then repeat the same sequence for the second.
Cut two lengths from the wave-link chain: the first 3 links long, the second 5 links long. Count the wave links themselves, not the small connecting links. These two lengths form the entire framework of the earring. Prepare the same for the second earring; you will have four lengths in total.
Fold the 5-link length so that you have 2 links on one side and 3 on the other. The fold becomes the top point of this length.
Open a 3 mm ring by twisting. Thread it through the fold, then through the second-to-last link of the 3-link length. Close until the ends meet. The two chains are now joined and the earring takes shape.
Open a second 3 mm ring and attach the hammered sequin stud at the very top of the assembly. This is what will hold the earring on the ear.
Thread onto a flat-head stud one 4 mm orange-red Bohème bead, then the flower cup pendant, then the mother-of-pearl flower. The order matters: the gold cup acts as a setting for the mother of pearl.
Form a simple loop at the back of the flower. Tighten it well against the mother of pearl, without leaving any gap between the elements: this is what keeps the flower from turning once worn.
Then bend this loop 90 degrees, flat against the back of the flower. This bend is the key move in the assembly: it makes the flower hang naturally, front-facing, when the jewelry is on the ear.
Reopen the loop on the stud by twisting, thread it through the chosen link, and close until the ends meet. Before closing, check the direction: the face of the flower must look toward the front of the jewelry, in the same axis as the ear stud. A flower assembled upside down can only be fixed by reopening the loop.
Mount the beads on studs, one per stud: 3 pastel blue 6 mm beads, 3 red olive 6 × 4 mm beads, 3 pink opal 4.5 mm beads. Form a simple loop on each one, as for the flower.
Then attach them to the chain as they descend: the blue ones first, then the red olives, and the pink opals last. Reopen each loop by twisting, thread it through its link, and close at the contact point.
The images show the exact positions. Distribute the beads on both sides of the chain rather than all on the same side; that gives a more harmonious drape.
Repeat the sequence exactly for the second earring. Place the two side by side before wearing them: it is the best way to spot a flower that needs straightening or a bead that needs shifting by one link.
Make discreet loops; that is what gives a neat finish. For the flower assembly in particular: tighten everything well before closing the loop, with no play between the bead, the cup and the mother-of-pearl. Then bend the loop 90 degrees against the back of the flower. These two motions determine how the jewelry hangs: they make the flower sit flat instead of tipping over. And remember that a ring or loop always opens by twisting, one side toward you, the other outward — never by pulling the two ends apart, as the metal will deform and not return to its shape.
The construction stays the same; only the colors change. It is the easiest variation to make your own: keep the mother-of-pearl flower and gold cup, and change the trio of beads with the seasons.
Water green and amber for autumn, deep blues and opaque white for winter, shades of pink and coral for summer. A fully transparent version, using light Bohème beads, makes for a much more discreet pair for the office.
To be reserved alone or with friends!
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