I've Got to Pick a Pair of Earrings

So it's summertime and the Queen's thoughts have turned to earrings (what else?) I've let my hair grow a bit, and now it's a little difficult for anyone to see most of my fabulous post earrings when I wear them. What to do, what to do? Switch to longer, dangling earrings, of course!

Hoop earrings, gemstone drops, crystal and stone beads on wire, multiple strands of chain - they all look fabulous with my longer hair. And other people can see them, which is part of the point of wearing earrings in the first place.

It's easy to coordinate my accessories with the rest of my wardrobe by picking colors that match or by sticking strictly with metal like silver, copper or gold. Whatever the occasion, going to work or just hanging out at home, I like to find earrings to match my clothes as well as my mood. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not finished dressing until I've found the perfect earrings for the day.

Earrings by SilverSmack

Today I'm going to introduce you to my friend Jean, a fabulous jewelry artisan, JET member and metalsmith! You'll see tons of great jewelry in her shops, and there are LOTS of earrings to choose from! Her business name is SilverSmack; her favorite tools are her hammers. She likes to texture and color her metal, giving her jewelry an organic look and feel.

The pictures above illustrate what you'll find in her shops. I focus on earrings - but you'll see much more, especially necklaces, pendants and rings.

This artisan works mostly in silver; brass and copper have recently been showing up here. I've chosen these five pair to spotlight today!

This first pair is a simple design I just love! Every woman needs a pair of these Hammered Fine Silver Hoop Eternity Earrings ... they go with everything!

Made with a wonderful hammered texture and oxidized to give them a great charcoal grey color, these are perfect everyday earrings. Wear them with jeans and a tee shirt all weekend and to the office with a nice dress ... they'll look pretty anywhere they go! Every pair is made by Jean personally. Call them your own - for just $15.00!

This lovely pair of floral design dangles is so pretty ... soft violet and blue lucite flowers are accented with sparkling Swarovski crystals and gleaming sterling silver.

The Blue Purple Frosted Lucite Flower Crystal Silver Earrings are a beautiful feminine style you'll love. They're a great color combination that will look good all year long, and especially for summer! They would be a nice addition to any earring collection, and the price is right - they can be yours for only $15.00!

The Queen definitely approves of these Purple Amethyst Onion Wire Wrapped Silver Earrings! I just might have to order a pair of these ... Amethyst is my birthstone and these DO look like they're fit for royalty! The rich purple amethyst is fabulous ... and they are just so perfectly matched with the smooth, polished wire wrapping.

These are made with classic hook earwires, and they hang about an inch from the top of the wire. These are 7mm onion shaped briolettes, so they're just over 1/4" wide. Order a pair today for just $32.00 ...

Looking at these earrings ... I would never guess that they're copper. The colors are so vivid and pretty ... a real rainbow for your ears! This jewelry artisan has discovered a way to give copper an unpredictable colored patina - it can't be controlled, so you never know ezactly what the color patterns will be - but these dangle earrings are amazing!

The Rainbow Firescaled Hammered Copper Stick Tab Earrings are individually created and truly one of a kind! These are finished with a sealant to protect the color. Add a pair to your collection for $20.00!

This last pair was chosen to show the difference between polished and oxidized silver wire wrapping. These are very much like the amethyst pair above; the darkened wire really accents their green color! The Peridot Wire Wrapped Silver Earrings are beautiful and quite sparkly! If you like green, these are a pair you'll love ...

These glittering, faceted peridot briolettes are 6mm, and the total length from the top of the earwire to the bottom of the briolette is 7/8". They could be dangling from YOUR ears for just $35.00!

Jean has several shops, and you'll want to visit them all! Each one is a bit different. Her handmade jewelry shop on Etsy is just part of the picture. You'll also find her handcrafted jewelry on Artfire; more artisan jewelry on Silkfair and wire wrapped jewelry on eCrater. You'll find handmade earrings and pendants from SilverSmack on 1000 Markets; handmade necklaces on Bonanzle, and herringbone wrapped jewelry on Zibbet.com!

Terry Salimbene is a proud member of the Jewelry on Etsy Team - JET. She is a jewelry designer in New York City with many years of experience in the jewelry business, specializing in silver earrings. This article may be reproduced provided it contains this author's statement and all links remain intact. ©2010 Terry Salimbene

Wire wrapped Earrings by DBVictoria

I'm back with new earrings to show you, and I'm really excited about it! My Jet friend at Designs by Victoria makes FABULOUS earrings with gemstones, glass, crystal - even parts from old broken pocket watches!

Her handcrafted earrings have personality ... every time Vic makes a pair, she chooses the beads carefully ... wraps every component with rich silver wire ... and puts all her effort into every pair she designs.

Most of the handmade earrings you'll see at DBVictoria are unique and can't be duplicated, so ... if you see a pair you love, don't wait ... she's got a very busy shop and that pair of earrings you want can literally disappear in a moment!

Everyone needs a pair of basic black dangles. I think these are fit for a queen - and you'll love them too!


Black is the most versatile color, because it really does go with everything! Perfect for casual or dress-up, these lovely handmade dangle earrings are made with chunky faceted black glass beads, beaded sterling silver spacers and matching sterling silver ear wires.

The wrapping is perfect, with a large sized loop on the top so these will move nicely. You can take these pretty Black Faceted Glass Dangle Earrings on Sterling Silver Earwires home for just $12.75!



These Russian Opal, Maxixe Aquamarine, and Amethyst Earrings on Sterling Silver Earwires really ARE meant to grace Royal ears ...

These earrings are made with stunning Russian Opal, Maxixe Aquamarine, and Amethyst! I love the fantastic, vivid color of these Russian opal stones ... they really do seem to glow!

The amethyst beads are a nice color, and the Maxixe aquamarine beads are gorgeous. Each bead is individually wrapped with sterling silver wire and attached to sterling silver chain, forming the cluster above the opal stones. As you can imagine, these beautiful Russian opal earrings are a bit more expensive ... but still VERY reasonably priced at $60.00!



These are just ... so different. Like something out of Mad Max. They're brilliant little sculptures, all twisted and sharp and fierce. Not the same ... but they belong together! Conflicted little dangles to dress up with ... and let the evening take you wherever it goes!

These quirky dangles are made with vintage pocket watch parts, amber colored glass, wood, and a pierced brass bead all wrapped up with gleaming brass wire, and dangling from granulated brass ear wires.

Watch Parts Steampunk Brass, Wood, and Amber Glass OOAK earrings ... Yours for $36.00!



Here's another pair of steampunk style earrings. These are a bit longer, and actually kinda match!

These handcrafted steampunk dangle earrings feature round opalite glass beads up on top, antique watch parts in the center, and beautiful, milky white fluted glass beads dangling at the bottom.

These earrings are a one of a kind pair, and probably won't be made again so if you like unique earrings, now is your chance to own a truly unusual pair of artisan made earrings for a very reasonable price - $40.00!

That's going to be enough for today! I promise I'll be back soon ... with fabulous new earring finds for you! Until then ... Go shopping at DBVictoria!

Terry Salimbene is a proud member of the Jewelry on Etsy Team - JET. She is a jewelry designer in New York City with many years of experience in the jewelry business, specializing in handcrafted jewelry. This article may be reproduced provided it contains this author's statement and all links remain intact. ©2010 Terry Salimbene

Stunning Handmade Earrings at OV Gillies Designs

Hi ... I'm back with some more great handcrafted earrings to show you! This time I'm showing off some beauties by OVGilliesDesigns, another of my JET friends. Olga, the jewelry artisan and owner of the business creates her handmade jewelry on an island in Scotland, and finds her inspiration all around her! She works mostly in sterling, and a lot of it is oxidized silver.

When she designs, this jewelry maker uses a lot of pretty art glass beads, great quality gemstones and sparkly crystal in her earrings, necklaces and pendants. The hoop earrings shown in the first picture (on the left) have gorgeous teal and raspberry colored Czech glass flowers dangling from hand formed sterling silver ear wires.

They're about 2" top to bottom ... I just love the glass flowers! These earrings are a nice spring color and they'll go very well with jeans ...

I love blue, and these Lapis Lazuli Deep Blue Indigo Smooth Large Wire Wrapped Briolette Earrings in Bright Sterling Silver would satisfy my blue cravings. The royal blue color is fit for a queen and these have just the right amount of pyrite in them ... they really do look like a beautiful night sky!

The lapis stones are nicely wrapped and in a very secure way so these earrings are made to last through a lot of wear. The sterling silver shepherd's hook style wires were handmade by the artisan.

These are fine quality lapis lazuli and sterling silver earrings that will compliment your most beautiful dress, but they're casual enough in style that they would also be nice for everyday wear!

Yellow is a great summer color. It looks fabulous with a great summer tan, and just seems at home on the beach. The beads in these hot, summery earrings are so yellow they look like they could be miniature lemons!

The Bunches of Lemons, Yellow Jade Cluster Drop on Long Sterling Earrings are a bright, pure yellow! These pretty clusters each have 3 individually wrapped vivid yellow jade beads dangling from long silver hook ear wires that were made by Olga in her studio.

Of course I love pearls and I think these PINK SMOKE, Keishi Pearls, Smoky Quartz Cluster Earrings are stunning!

The subtle pink color looks perfect with the flat, deep charcoal color of the silver. The smoky quartz gives them a bit of sparkle and really compliments the color of the oxidized silver as well.

The pearls have a lustrous appearance. The unusual and unique baroque shapes of the freshwater pearls give these earrings a very interesting and fashionable look.

That's it for today! Please visit my friend Olga's shop or her jewelry website and pick up some great earrings. I hope you enjoyed your visit ... and I'll be back with more earrings soon!

Terry Salimbene AKA The Earring Queen is a proud member of the Jewelry on Etsy Team - JET. She is a jewelry designer New York City with many years experience in the jewelry trade, specializing in handcrafted earrings. This article may be reproduced provided it contains this author's statement and all links remain intact. ©2010 Terry Salimbene

Fabulous Earrings at ArtMadeByTammy's Shop!

This week I'm featuring earrings in ArtMadeByTammy, a really cool Etsy shop! Tammy is an artisan who makes fabulous jewelry, and her earrings are really special. I love the variety she offers, and could write pages about them, but ... I guess I'll have to choose ... so I'll start with the lovlies on the left, the Luminous Earrings on Sterling Silver. These dangles are made with 8mm round Czech glass crackle beads and sterling silver ear wires. If you know about Czech glass beads, you know these are fantastic, sparkly beads that will catch the light and glitter every time you move. Tammy put them on silver wire and made a tightly wrapped loop at the top, so they're very well made, then hung them onto very modern French style ear wires. They'll dangle about 1 1/4" from your ears; and the best part is they're on SALE! You can give them a new home for only $12.00.

Its springtime, and there's no better time for flowers! These pretty blue glass blooms are gorgeous, and they go so well with jeans. The Marvelous Marbleized Blue Rose Lampwork Sculpted Earrings would be a great addition to your collection! The flower beads are handmade and they're pretty big - 14mm wide x 10mm tall. Tammy combined them with Swarovski crystal beads and sterling silver parts to make these pretty dangles. The ear wires are extra long - they are 34mm long and 13mm wide - and they'll hang about 2 1/4" from the ear. These fabulous earrings are $28.00!
The spectacular earrings on the left are made with Fire Cherry Quartz. This is actually a kind of art glass; the multifaceted beads sparkle in just about any kind of light. The pink colored Swarovski crystal bicone beads add a nice, sparkling touch. The faceted fire cherry quartz beads are 12mm x 8mm; with the sterling silver ball and post stud ear wires they dangle approximately 1" from the ear. This fashionable pair of dangle earrings will match with many colors, so they're very versatile. I know it soulds hard to believe, but you could call these Fire Cherry Quartz and Swarovski Crystal on Sterling Silver Post Earrings your own for just $18.00!
This next pair is really different! They're Tammy's gorgeous
Clear Teardrop Prism Earrings. One look and you can see why she named them that way -they really do act like a prism, breaking light up into a rainbow of colors. These amazing art glass earrings are beautiful and you know they'll be noticed by everyone around you! These are large glass dangles; they are 30mm long x 20mm wide without the ear wires. This designer chose fancy 39mm long platinum plated ear wires that are nickel - free, so there won't be any allergy worries while you're wearing them. They're almost 2 1/2" long and they could be dangling from YOUR ears for the amazingly low price of just $25.00!

Next are ... the Waves Blown Glass Earrings! This pair is nice and light ... because the beads are hollow! These are hand blown, with a vivid cobalt blue color. They have a fantastic wave pattern - with white swirls going around the beads! The beads themselves are quite large at 20mm, and Tammy added bead caps with small round beads at the bottom to dress them up. They're securely wrapped at the top with a nice hand formed loop. These pretty blue glass beads are suspended from large 40mm oval ear wires, and they will hang about 2 3/4" from your ear. These are simply beautiful! They could easily become one of your favorite pair, because earrings like these are suitable for casual wear with jeans - and they'll look just as good with a business suit or a nice dress. They aren't just beautiful - they are a great buy at only $12.00!

OK ... I've got one more pair that I have to include today! This is a very different, one of a kind pair you definitely won't find anywhere else! Tammy's Precious Metal Art White Tulip Flower Earrings are an altered - art pair of earrings, and you'll get lots of compliments and comments about them! Tammy hand painted the silver petals with white enamel, and added three dangles with crystal bicone beads to each flower. Matching crystals are at the top; in between are hand oxidized silver petal bead caps. They've been coated in clear epoxy resin for a durable, shiny finish, and they hang from sterling silver ear wires. These will hang about 2 1/4" from the ear, and they're just spectacular! A true artisan made pair of earrings, they should cost a lot more than the $30.00 price!

That's it for today. Please check out Tammy's shop for more artisan made jewelry; she has a full line of wonderful necklaces and pendants, hair accessories, beaded bookmarks and much more!

Gorgeous Earrings from CapitalCityCrafts!

Today I'm going to showcase our JET friend Barbara of CapitalCityCrafts! Barbara makes great gemstone and silver jewelry, and her earring designs are fabulous! I absolutely LOVE the earrings I've chosen to show you here, and I know you'll like them as much as I do!

The first pair are the Northern Lights Crystal and Pearl Sterling Earrings shown on the left. These feminine chandelier style pearl and crystal earrings are luxe enough for a bride on her special day, and would look fantastic worn to any formal occasion. They'll add lots of colorful sparkle to your wardrobe and they're just $30.00!


I love amethyst. This gorgeous purple gem is my birthstone and I wear amethyst jewelry very often! These are really nice ... the deep purple color of the amethyst heart beads adds a rich, royal look to these pretty dangles. The heart shaped beads match very nicely; and of course you can't go wrong with pearls ... ever. I also like the way these are made, because each piece is a link so they'll move. I have enough stiff bead on a stick earrings to last for the rest of my life ... These Amethyst Love earrings are just $24.00!

The next pair are a beautiful chandelier design!
These handmade Pearls and Garnet Chandelier Earrings may not be an everyday pair of earrings, but I love them! Earrings like these move freely and look so elegant ... and of course Garnet is a favorite, especially with brightly polished silver.

These would be stunning with a slinky red dress ... perfect for an evening out at your favorite nightspot! The pearls add just the right classic touch.
And - they're only $25.00!

I love artisan jewelry, and of course earrings are my favorite! These are just ... different. The colors in the lampwork disc beads are amazing and they go really well with the pink topaz drops at the bottom. The silver components are unusual and very feminine. These Lampwork glass and Pink Topaz Sterling silver earrings are a very contemporary pair of
dangles you won't find in any store! A bargain at $45.00 ...

I really like this pair! The deep blue hue of the kyanite beads looks great with the copper and silver combination. The discs are hammered and domed so they have a nice substantial appearance. The kyanite coin beads are fabulous - what a great color!

These will go so well with casual denim jeans and a nice blue sweater.

These Blue Sky Earrings - Copper, Sterling Silver and Kyanite are $30.00 and should be more ... they're a bargain at that price!

Barbara does make a lot more than earrings, but ... you'll have to check out her fab shop to find out what she's got to offer. So get over to CapitalCityCrafts today!

Here's a little sample of CapitalCityCrafts jewelry ... Enjoy!

I'm Back with ...

more goodies! I decided why stop with just my earrings ... the world is full of earrings to drool over! When you see these your ears are going to be hungry for new jools ...

Our friend JuliaA has some great earrings in her Etsy shop! Her earrings can be made with silver, silver plate or gold plate earwires and beads, and you can even ask for different color beads. Feast your eyes on these ...

Trois Perles ...

Just $15.00!

So pretty ...

These garnet colored beauties
are fabulous at just $8.50!

Maybe these are more your style!

Hematite Scroll Earrings - $12.00! See these and more at her shop,
Handmade Earrings by JuliaA - on Etsy, of course!

That's it for today. I'll be around with more soon!