Get to Know your Findings: Focus on Earrings Part 1
Earrings, (essentially for pierced ears) make up the second biggest product area on the high street, narrowly beaten only by stone set rings. It is a vital area to be in, if you are considering selling your jewellery commercially as they sell extremely easily. They make great presents as there is no sizing to consider, but they are also a fantastic self purchase for women, most of whom wear earrings every day. Get your pricing right and you will find that earrings quickly start to constitute the ‘bread and butter’ of your range, generating regular revenue that will allow you to indulge in making more elaborate pieces.
Generally speaking, studs far out sell drop earrings. They are a practical, everyday option that are easy to wear as long as the scale is kept small. Virtually any design can be quickly transformed into a stud earring, but whilst the aesthetics are limitless, there are a few practical points to remember to ensure your earrings are fully functional and wearable:
- Firstly the weight of the earring needs to be considered. You want the design to sit flat against the lobe of the ear so the scroll that you use needs to be of sufficient size and strength to support it. (Cookson offer a wide range of scrolls from extra light to extra large suitable for most styles of stud). Try to ensure the size of your design is balanced by the size of the scroll.
- It is also worth considering using plastic backs as an alternative or additional option for your customer. Plastic backs with base metal offer great support for a heavy earring. You can find them here and here. They are also a more cost-effective solution if you are find price to be an issue. Customers with any allergies can also use these backs as they contain surgical grade metal. Alternatively, if you are concerned about putting a base metal finding on a silver earring, you can find a silver version here. But note that if you are designing jewellery for children, plastic backs are a must from a health and safety point of view. You might find these plastic ear backs more suitable.
- The positioning of the earring pin or post on a design is a key consideration. If the design is small enough I would always ensure the post is kept central which in turn keeps the earring in the right place on the ear. Your clients will not want to be worrying about repositioning jewellery throughout the day. A larger design might require a post positioned more towards the top, allowing the piece to hang down slightly. On average, posts tend to be 0.8mm – 1mm diameter and come in a range of lengths. You might find the shorter lengths easier to solder. It is crucial you check what size hole your scrolls have before soldering on your posts as they are not all the same and although there is a certain degree of flexibility, you need a good grip on the post otherwise your earrings will fall out! It is worth pointing out that sometimes the larger pins (1mm) can be uncomfortable for some people to wear, so you might want to stick to the 0.8mm standard. Headed pins provide a greater surface area for a good join, but don’t look as clean as the plain version. (A good test of a solder join is to twist the soldered post firmly 180 degrees with a pair of flat pliers. This will quickly reveal a ‘dry joint’ if your solder has not run properly but will also semi harden the post after it’s been heated making it a little stronger).
You can of course make your own pins by using wire of the correct gauge. Simply smooth and round the end of the wire, file a groove approximatively 4mm from the end to locate the scroll and then cut to length. The end will need flattening to ensure a good join.
Although many of the points in here may seem obvious to people who have been making earrings for some time, for the beginner these are basics that could easily be overlooked. Remembering a few basic guidelines will ensure your reputation with customers and have them coming back for more!