Making earwires...help please!

**Gemma** · 16-11-2009, 02:28 PM

Hi everyone. Hope you all had lovely weekends

Hope someone can help me. I've been making earwires. I cut a length of silver, heat the end to form a ball, shaping etc...
Problem is the ball textures when it cools. I've tried air cooling and dunking it in water with the same results. Any ideas how to stop this?
I've attached a piccy so you can see what I mean...

**Di Sandland** · 16-11-2009, 02:34 PM

This is a common problem with sterling silver, Gem, fine silver doesn't pit like that. I don't know if any of the others have 'cures' for sterling tho.

**Ominicci** · 16-11-2009, 02:43 PM

Argentium (and Brilliante) is good for balls as it doesn't 'pit' like sterling does.

Some jewellery makers use it to their advantage though and incorporate it into their designs, like Jo from GemHeaven Jewellery HERE

**Ominicci** · 16-11-2009, 02:45 PM

Oops for got to say ... apparently the trick is to cool it very slowly by pulling the flame away in slow motion. I've never really got that to work so I use Argentium specifically for ear wires.

**Di Sandland** · 16-11-2009, 02:49 PM

Nicci, Gem Heaven's stuff is absolutely stunning! Thanks for the link.

**Gemma** · 16-11-2009, 03:00 PM

Wow! Jo's stuff is great!
So the thing I'm doing wrong is using the wrong silver...thanks Nicci and Di. That means I have to go shopping again then...such a shame

**Emerald** · 16-11-2009, 03:28 PM

I make my earwires with sterling and i really dont mind if it pits and as Jo does if you oxidise it it looks really good.

**mizgeorge** · 16-11-2009, 03:35 PM

The ones you see with perfect balls have usually been soldered on. I can sometimes get them spot on by taking them out of the flame very slowly, but it's very hit and miss. Fine silver is too soft realistically to make earwires. Argentium seems to work pretty well though. I'm experimenting with different styles in it at the moment.

**Petal** · 16-11-2009, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by mizgeorge

The ones you see with perfect balls have usually been soldered on. I can sometimes get them spot on by taking them out of the flame very slowly, but it's very hit and miss. Fine silver is too soft realistically to make earwires. Argentium seems to work pretty well though. I'm experimenting with different styles in it at the moment.

Thanks for that.... reads with interest!