Sterling and Gemstone Disc Earrings Tutorial

Step 15: Assemble the components

1. Twist open the links on your leverback ear wires.
   
   
2. Do the same with your simple loops on your handmade links
   
   Tip: Never EVER pull open loops. Always twist the two parts opposite each other.
   
   
3. Assemble the earrings and close the loops by twisting them back into the closed position

Congratulations on making it this far! Skip down to step 19 if you like your silver shiny and new looking.

If you like the oxidized and worn look, go on to step 16

Step 16: Oxidize your earrings with liver of sulphur

Liver of sulphur is a chemical available from jewelry equipment suppliers. It looks like chunks of rock and stinks, well, like sulphur.... go figure:)

1. To make the liver of sulphur bath, get a small glass bowl and put hot tap water in it.
   
   
2. Put on rubber gloves.
   
   
3. Break off a small pea-sized chunk of liver of sulphur
   
   
4. Stir it into the water with your chopstick or plastic tongs until it dissolves.
   
   
5. Put your jewelry into the liver of sulphur bath.
   
   
6. Let it sit there until it turns dark like night (or until you like the color).
   
   The silver may turn yellow, then purple and blue before it turns black. This is normal.
   
   It may take 2 minutes or 20 or 30 minutes to darken sufficiently.
   
   
7. Keep checking the color every few minutes.
   
   If it takes awhile, I like to keep the bowl warm on a coffee cup warmer.

Step 17: Drying

Take your jewelry out of the bath and rinse it off well. Let dry on paper towels.

Step 18: Make a brushed steel patina

Brush the jewelry in different directions with steel wool (I like ultrafine #0000) to give it a brushed, darkened patina.

<---Your finished earrings!

Step 19: Pat yourself on the back

Go try them on and admire your work!