14K findings on 18K

    My chains will be 18K, to go with the 18K pendants i am doing -
but the closures and earring hoops is what i am having trouble
finding in 18k. 

G’day Lisa; Can’t tell you about the rules in USA or the fasteners,
but for earring hoops you can make your own using appropriate wire in
something around 15 seconds each. Have a look at the ftp site in
Orchid under ‘earwire jig,’ It’s been there a long time and any
jeweller could make one in about half an hour or less…

PS I sent this a while ago, but it got returned as undeliverable!

    http://www.ganoksin.com/ftp/Earwirejig.jpg 

– Cheers now,
Cheers now,
John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua Nelson NZ

I agree that earring wires are doable in the correct metal by us, and
in fact find that I can design and make my earwires to suit different
earring designs. They come out stronger and look part of the whole,
more than purchased findings. It’s also a chance to make beefier
earwires when it’s appropriate, like for heavy earrings.

I generally use 0.8mm wire, and ask for ‘hard-drawn and shiny’ when I
buy my earwire stock.

But I dissagree, John, with your 15sec timing - those earwires made
on the jig will now require shaping the ends especially if you want to
avoid a sharp scratchy point. I guess you meant to add: file the end
of the wie first, making it feel smooth to the touch, bend the earwire
on the jig, then cut file the new end, espesially smooth. I
rouge-polish the last end only, the bit that goes in the ear.

Brian

B r i a n A d a m
N E W Z E A L A N D
www.adam.co.nz/backpages my scritti graffitti

    But I dissagree, John, with your 15sec timing - those earwires
made on the jig will now require shaping the ends especially if you
want to avoid a sharp scratchy point. 

G’day Brian et al. Well, of course I wouldn’t give out any earring
which had wires without smoothed ends. I’d thought that to be
obvious. I did mean that one can indeed make ear wires by using my
jig, on any sized wire you like, in 15 seconds, (I have timed it!) but
not including attaching the rest of the job or finding the wire,
(where the hell did I put it yesterday?) or finishing. I do in fact
use 0.8mm wires which have been work hardened but not annealed, and I
find that buffing the wire ends carefully, using a miniature felt buff
holding tripoli, is all that is needed. – Cheers now,

John Burgess; @John_Burgess2 of Mapua Nelson NZ

Hi John, When I have had to make earwires and used a similar jig, After
forming the wire , I then used a very small concave stonesetting
burr on the end of the wire to take the edge of… then after
attaching the wire to whatever the item was, I then threw it into the
vibratory finisher , then into a tumbler for a short while and
presto, the wire and end of the wire is now bright ,smooth and rounded
on the end.

Daniel Grandi Racecar Jewelry Co. We do casting finishing cnc /cad and
model making for people in the trade