Gemstone Earrings Tutorial with Chalcedony and Gold Vermeil

I have a great fast project for you today with a touch of gold – which is something I LOVE around the holidays!  Gold is such a warm tone, and so festive – when I spotted these gemstone beads with gold vermeil, I swear, they called my name.

Adrianne… wear me.

So it might seem weird to a lot of people that I listen to beads, but I assume since you’ve landed here that you have probably felt the same way on occasion.  Ahem.

But back on task – here’s what you’ll need to make these pretty gold vermeil gemstone earrings.  It’s a really simple charm design.

I shopped Goody Beads for my supplies, and if you’re planning to check these links out, I want to mention that they are affiliate links.  If you decide to make a purchase through these links, it supports my blog at no extra cost to you (thanks)!

• Gold vermeil chalcedony gemstone beads
• Gold-plated 4mm round beads
• Gold-plated 21 gauge head pins
• Gold-filled french wire earrings
• Round-nosed jewelry pliers
• Wire Cutters

First, add your beads to your head pin.

Next, make a closed loop.  Do do this, bend the pin slightly to one side, and then wrap it up and over the round-nosed pliers.  Then, wrap the tail end of the pin around the bottom of the loop you just created.  Once you’ve made a few charms, this process will be like second-nature.  But if it’s your first time trying, don’t get frustrated if it’s not perfect on your first try.  (If you’d like to see a video of the process, check out my post on how to make charm bracelets.)

Repeat with the other beads until you have matching charms.  Then, just add them to your ear wires.  Just slide it on over the back of the earring – you may need to very gently use your pliers to open up the ear wires, and close them securely.  Do be careful, you don’t want  to bend it too much.

And that’s all there is to making your own real gemstone earrings!  I love the pale aqua blue with the gold (and if you’re browsing that link I left up above, there are more colors of beads available, too).

What are you wearing for the holidays?  Anything special?  Anything you made?  Are you making gifts?  I can’t believe Thanksgiving is nearly here!