Almost Tie Dyed Gemstone Earrings

How great are these Almost Tie Dyed Gemstone Earrings?! Jennifer made them for a friend, but they were too cool not to share.

Jennifer bought a strand of the tiny tourmaline rondelles at a bead show a while back, and came up with this gorgeous way yo use them. She arranged them from dark blue and aqua to pink and red. The color merge of the tourmalines almost looks like tie-dye! She added the ring and moonstone briolette at the bottom to give the earrings a little movement and a bright pop. The whole thing goes together with wire and wrapped loops, which is super easy. We’ve included a video to show you how to make wrapped loops. So you can make a pair for yourself and a pair for a friend! Just like Jennifer did!

How To Make Almost Tie Dyed Gemstone Earrings

Materials

2 Top-drilled briolettes, Moonstone, 7.5mm x 8mm
12 Faceted rondelle gemstones, Tourmaline color merge, 2mm
2 Circle connectors, gold, 8mm
2 Earring wires, gold
24-Gauge wire, gold

Tools

Chain-nose pliers
Round-nose pliers
Wire cutters

Steps

1. The first step to make the earrings is to make a wrapped loop. Here’s a video we made showing how to make a wrapped loop. You can watch how we do it in the video, then use the directions below to get started on your earrings.

Cut a 4” piece of wire to make the long component featuring the tiny gemstones. Make a wrapped loop in one end by pinching the wire about 2” from the end with the round-nose pliers and bending the wire 90 degrees. Then reposition the pliers to the top of that 90-degree bend and pull the wire around the pliers to form a loop. Reposition the pliers so the bottom jaw is in the partial loop and finish pulling the wire around the jaw to complete the loop. To wrap the loop (thus the name “wrapped loop!”) grasp across the loop with the pliers and pull the tail wire around the neck two times. Trim the end of the wire using the wire cutters.

2. Arrange the tiny gemstones into a color merge and feed them onto the wire. Make another wrapped loop in the other end of the wire using the same technique as in step 1, but before you wrap the loop, feed the little circle into the loop. Then wrap the wire around the neck two times. Trim the end of the wire using the wire cutters.

3. To make the moonstone briolette dangle, cut a 3” piece of wire and feed it through the hole across the top of the briolette. Slide the bead to the middle of the wire and bend one side of the wire up against the triangle at the top of the briolette. Then bend the other side of the wire up the same way so the wires crisscross at the top of the bead. Bend one wire straight up from the top point of the bead. Bend the other wire 90 degrees and wrap it around the straight wire. Trim the end of the wire you just wrapped (not the one coming straight upfrom the bead!).

4. Make a wrapped loop in the top of that briolette wire, but before you wrap the loop, make sure to feed the little circle into the loop. Then wrap the loop, adding three or four extra wraps at the top of the briolette.

5. Feed the opening of the earring wire through the loop at the top of the tiny gemstone component and press that opening closed. Repeat to make the second earring.

Aren’t these gorgeous?! Let us know what you think of these earrings. Leave us a comment below. We love hearing from you!
Happy Crafting,
Jennifer & Kitty