Five Golden Rings Earrings

by Judy Larson

Category: Holiday Designs
Technique(s): Butane Torch Techniques
Skill Level: Intermediate

Have you ever noticed that half the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas song we are so familiar with are birds?! After the first three bird days were designed, something different was needed so doing a word association chain helped to come up with ideas for the other birds as well as the remaining days.
You never know where inspiration will come from. Our cat "helped" design the flower earrings when she decided to visit my work surface. No, the "flower" was not perfect, but my eyes immediately zeroed in on the rings in the mess.

Materials

18 Gauge Round Dead Soft Argentium .940 Silver Wire

H19-18D

Lesson Quantity: 2.00 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
Price: $5.35
Gold Club Price: $4.01

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Gold Filled Jump Rings Open (.030) 20ga. (OD) 5mm (ID) 3.45mm - Pack of 10

J11-191

Lesson Quantity: 20.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 2.00 each
Price: $6.28
Gold Club Price: $4.71

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Sterling Silver Earwires Semi-Circle 23.5mm w/ 3mm Bead - Pack of 2

K19-64

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $2.72
Gold Club Price: $2.04

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24 Gauge Dead Soft Argentium Silver Sheet - 6 Inches

H19-24SM6

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
Price: $42.72
Gold Club Price: $32.04

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16 Gauge Round Half Hard Argentium .940 Silver Wire

H19-16H

Lesson Quantity: 5.00 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
Price: $9.03
Gold Club Price: $6.77

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Sterling Silver Jump Ring Open (.040) 18ga. (OD) 4mm Heavy (ID) 2.33mm - Pack of 10

K11-32

Lesson Quantity: 2.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $3.02
Gold Club Price: $2.27

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Tools

Steel Bench Block 4x4 Inch - Pack of 1

G17-10

G17-10
Lesson Quantity: 2.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 2.00 each
Price: $21.95
Gold Club Price: $16.46

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BALLPEIN HAMMER SUPREME- 8OZ

HAM-430.18

HAM-430.18
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $12.95
Gold Club Price: $9.71

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Chain Nose Wire Pliers

G2-508

G2-508
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $32.95
Gold Club Price: $24.71

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C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches

PLR-487.00

PLR-487.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $16.97
Gold Club Price: $12.73

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Basic Soldering Kit

G15-4

G15-4
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $58.95
Gold Club Price: $44.21

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Pickle Pot, 16 Ounces

CLN-584.00

CLN-584.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $31.95
Gold Club Price: $23.96

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NATURE'S TOUCH CITRIC PICKLE, 2LB PLASTIC JAR

CLN-163.00

CLN-163.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $17.95
Gold Club Price: $13.46

Out of Stock

PROFESSIONAL QUALITY RING MANDREL 1-16

MAN-295.00

MAN-295.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $24.95
Gold Club Price: $18.71

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Instructions

Step 1

The first template, 2½" x 6", contains the designs that are to be cut out and assembled. The second template, also 2½" x 6", contains size and shape approximations for those designs requiring a backing, except for number 4, which is a charm disc that could be cut out and number 3, an alternate French Hens design. The numbers on the designs in both templates refer to the day in the song and in the tutorials.

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Step 2:

Flower Version

The directions are for one earring. Repeat the process for the second earring.
Cut five 3/8" pieces of 18 gauge round Argentium wire. Place the wire on a soldering block. Ball each wire. Cool.

Step 3

Remove any solder block debris from the balls. Place the balls on a bench block. Tap each ball until flattened enough to be a bit wider than two 18 gauge wires set side by side.

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Step 4

Close five 18 gauge 5mm ID gold filled rings. Place a dot of easy paste solder on the seam outside each ring.

Step 5

Place the rings on a flat soldering surface. A solderite board was used here. Slowly nudge each ring into place so the seam with the paste solder touches the ring next to it. A solder pick is a helpful tool to use for this process.

Step 6

Press a flattened dot from Step 2 into the solder squishing up between the rings. Be careful that the rings are not moved apart during this process.

Pro Tip: It will be easier for you to solder, pickle and dry the rings first. Use flux on the gold-filled rings to prevent fire scale if soldering now.

Step 7

The flower ring may be a bit out of round. Carefully nudge the rings back into place. Lightly heat the assembly with a butane torch. Spritz the assembly with flux. Heat again. Spritz with flux again. Heat until the solder flows. Hint: the flux will turn clear just before the solder is ready to flow. Allow to cool naturally.

Step 8

Pickle, rinse, and dry the flowers.
Tumble the flowers for several hours.
Add ear wires.

Step 9:

Tree Version

While working on the first Five Gold Rings I thought back to last year when our cat "helped" make the decision to no longer put up a large tree. There were shards of glass ornaments everywhere! She can't knock these trees over!

Pull out 24 gauge Argentium scrap and cut even smaller pieces. Hammer all the small pieces flat on a bench block as you work. These bits and pieces remind me of all the glass shards swept into the dustpan.

Step 10

Cut two 2½" pieces (appx. 63.5mm) of 16 gauge square Argentium wire. File both ends flat so a flush seam can be made.

Step 11

Shape each ring into an oval or a "D" shape, with the filed ends flush against each other. Place on a soldering block with a dot of medium paste solder under the seam. Heat around the rings with a butane torch until the solder flows up through and to the outside of the seam. Cool the rings on the solder brick.

Step 12

Use a rubber/nylon or rawhide mallet to round each ring on a hoop mandrel.

Step 13

Center a ring on a large bench block. Center another bench block on top of the ring. Strike a blow once or twice in the center of the top bench block with a brass mallet. This should flatten the ring and "square up" the square wire.

Step 14

Use an ultra fine point retractable Sharpie to draw marks bisecting the ring in half.

Step 15

Use nylon deep bending pliers to made a deep bend on one mark, creating a fat teardrop shape. Use a soft jaw pliers to bend the rest of the teardrop into more or less a tree shape. Repeat with the other ring. Keep adjusting the shape until both rings are as close to the same shape as possible.

Step 16

Flatten the shaped wire again as in Step12.

Step 17

Place the shapes on a soldering surface and draw around them with a regular Sharpie marker.

Step 18

Draw a straight line across the bottom of the shape to leave room to add five 18 gauge 5mm ID jump rings for the tree trunk. Mark the wire tree shape as well to help with placement in Step 22.

Lay out small scrap cut pieces close together above the straight line. Add another layer of scrap pieces. Try to make the second layer pieces touch at least three pieces on the first layer. Make sure there is enough scrap added outside where the wire shape will be placed so that an 18 gauge 3mm ID jump ring can be added for hanging.

Pro Tip: Because of the rough surface, a magnesia soldering block can slightly hold the first layer pieces in when place when add the second layer pieces. Heating the first layer, spritzing with flux, and heating until white before adding the second layer can also help.

Step 19

Heat each assembly until the metal pieces fuse together

Step 20

Center one scrap tree assembly on a large bench block. Center another bench block on top of the scrap tree. Strike a blow once or twice in the center of the top bench block with a brass mallet. This should flatten the tree a bit.

Step 21

Optional: Use a hammer such as the Mini TruStrike Designer/Texture hammer to add a bit of dimension to the scrap tree surface.

Step 22

Pickle, rinse, and dry the scrap assemblies.

Step 23

Decide where the wire shape fits best on the scrap tree assembly. Use an ultra fine point retractable Sharpie to make a few marks on the scrap tree outside the wire shape to help with positioning in the next steps for soldering.

Step 24

Place medium paste solder on the back of the wire shape above the lower marks. Press it into place on the scrap tree, using the Sharpie marks as a guide.

Optional: Use a 1.8mm hole punch to make gold-filled "ornaments" with 24 gauge scrap gold-filled sheet. Position the dots where desired. Remove them one at a time, place a dot of medium paste solder in that spot, and press the dot back in place.

Step 25

Place a large dot of medium paste solder outside the wire shape at the top of each scrap tree (where a tree topper would go-see Step 22 for positioning). Push the dot of solder onto the outer edge of the wire shape. Press a closed 18 gauge 3mm ID jump ring into the paste solder, making sure the ring touches both the scrap tree the wire shape.

Step 26

Heat the trees with a butane torch until the solder flows. Allow the pieces to cool on the solder brick. Pickle, rinse, and dry the pieces.

Step 27

Trim excess scrap backing from around the trees and jump ring for hanging. Use files and sanding pads to clean, refine, and soften the edges of the trees. Use a 1.8mm hole punch to make a hole inside the jump ring.

Step 28

Attach five 18 gauge 5mm ID gold-filled jump rings to the bottom of each tree shape.

Step 29

Tumble the trees for several hours. Patina the trees, if desired, as shown here. Leaving the patina on the background of the trees makes

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!