Anthro Inspiration - Rambling Amethyst Earrings

I loved the Rambling Amethyst Earrings from Anthropologie, but did not love the price tag. At $158, I knew I could make them myself for much cheaper.

What you'll need:

*10" of 20 gauge half hard gold filled wire
*12-15" of 28 gauge soft gold filled wire
*18 small gems of your choice - I used 3mm gemstones. Similar here.
*hammer
*metal block to hammer on
*wig-jig or just free form the shape with your hands
*wire cutters

First, I cut two 5"pieces of the 20 gauge wire and shaped the wire into the upside down U shape. I used the wig-jig as a starting point for shaping, then finished up with my hands to ensure the two pieces were identical.

Once I had the basic shape, I placed the formed wire onto the metal block and used a hammer with a rounded tip to give the wire texture.  Also, hammering hardens the wire, making it more stable and rigid.

I made sure to hammer the end of the wire, where the beads would be wire wrapped,  a few extra times. The width becomes larger and will keep the wire-wraps from sliding off.  *If you have a set of files, you can also smooth out the ends of the wire to remove any jagged edges.

To begin wire wrapping, I took about 15" of the 28 gauge soft wire and tightly wrapped it around the metal 3 times, leaving a 1" tail.  Before adding any beads, I lightly hammered the wrapping to harden it slightly.  Add the first bead onto the 28 gauge wire and hold it with your finger close to the base metal. Wrap the wire 2 full turns around the base metal. Once you make it back to top, add another bead and repeat the process. Once you have added the 9th and final bead, tightly wrap the wire a few more times (4 or 5) around the base metal.  Cut the left over metal close to the base.  Use a needle nose plier to make the wrappings even tighter and secure.  Do the same for the tail we left at the start.

At this point, the earrings should like like this...

Using the rest of the material, repeat each step for the second earring.

The earrings from Anthro have ear wires attached by a small hole in the base metal.  Unless you have a drill and a drill bit, this is most likely not an option.  I decided to keep the earrings as is and thread the back of the earring (the one with out beads) through my pierced ear.

These were much cheaper then the Anthro version and fun to make. 

I'll post pictures once I get a chance to wear them!

Please let me know if you are interested in buying a pair...They run about $45