When it comes to heart-themed jewelry, there are those who simply can’t abide it and those who love it…I fall into the latter category! Heartfelt, heartbreak, big-hearted, sweetheart, change of heart, by heart, take heart, have a heart are words and phrases that describe feelings, attributes, terms of endearment and more. They are part of life. That said, it did my heart good to create these earrings!

The process of creating these earrings took about three days as I mulled over design options. I decided the pair of earrings should be a marriage of color in both metal and the stones used. I wanted them to have dimension, the look and feel of substance, yet not be uncomfortably heavy. My solution was to use 22-gauge sheet in sterling silver for the top layer and bronze sheet underneath. I used dies to the cut heart-shapes (a huge time saver over sawing!), which were then hammer-textured and stamped with spiral designs. Round and oblong bezels were then soldered to the silver sheet, which I filled with carnelian, chrysoprase, iolite, amber, and paua shell cabochons. The silver and bronze heart shapes, separated by brass spacers, were riveted together and earwires were formed and inserted through drilled holes at the top of each earring. The final step was a dip in liver of sulfur to add patina and…Voila! They were finished! Each earrings measures 2.5″ from the top of the earwire to the bottom tip of the heart. I’m very pleased…now onto the next pair!