Top Drilled Wire Wrapped Earring Tutorial

One of the most common concerns I hear from clients is that they are not comfortable wire wrapping top-drilled teardrop beads.  They are so gorgeous, and the prettiest gemstones are often cut into this shape.  We want them, and yet they can be a bit tricky to work with.  Never fear -- here is our foolproof technique for creating fabulous top-drilled earrings, featuring luscious London Blue Topaz and our own Handcrafted Sterling Silver ear wires.  (Kit ordering information is available at the end of the blog.)

1.  Cut a 3 inch piece of 24 or 26 gauge half hard wire.  (I used 26 gauge sterling silver wire for these pictures.)  Thread your bead onto the wire, about 1/3 of the way from the end.

 

 

2.  Bend the wires over the top point of the gemstone.  The wires should cross directly above the point.  It will look a little bit like a Hershey's kiss.

 

 



 3. You should have a long wire and a short wire.  Bend the long wire right above the criss cross, so the long wire sticks up straight.  The short wire should stick out to the side.

4. Support your piece by holding the "Hershey's kiss" with your needle nose pliers.  Be gentle!  The sire is very delicate.

 

 

5. Use another pliers to wind the short wire around the long wire in a tight coil.

 



 

 

6.  Use your wire cutters to carefully trim any excess wire.  Be careful not to cut the long wire!

 

 

7.  Hold onto the long wire (now the only wire!) with your needle nose pliers just above the coil.  Bend the wire over the pliers to make a 90 degree corner.

 

 

8.  Form a loop around your round nose pliers, being careful to keep the loop aligned with your bead.  We want it to be directly above the point of the bead.

 

 

9.  Support your loop with your needle nose pliers and wind the wire around in a tight coil.  Stop wrapping when your coil reaches the coil from Step 5.  Use your wire sutters to carefully cut off any excess wire.

 

 

10.  Your wire wrapped bead should look like this:

 

 

11.  Open the ring of your ear wires using your needle nose pliers.  Be sure to open the ring to the side, rather than un-rounding it!

 

12.  String your wire wrapped loop onto the ear wire loop.  Then carefully close the loop with your needle nose pliers.

 

 

 

13.  Your finished earring will look like this!

 

 



 

 

For more information or to order earring kits, please call our Scottsdale store at

(480) 948-2323

 

www.beadworldinc.com