Beyond the Ring: Creating Pendants and Earrings

When people think of a "jewelry making class," they almost always picture making a ring. And for good reason—rings are classic, unisex, and relatively straightforward for beginners. But at Alas Arum Silver & Gold Workshop, we encourage our students to think outside the circle.

If you don't wear rings, or if you already have ten of them on your fingers, why not try crafting a pendant or a pair of earrings? These projects offer a different set of challenges and allow for even more creative freedom.

The Freedom of Pendants

Rings have structural limitations. They must be round (mostly), smooth on the inside, and durable enough to withstand being banged against door handles. Pendants, however, hang safely around your neck. This means they can be:

• Larger and bolder: You can make a statement piece that is 5cm wide without it being uncomfortable.
• More delicate: Intricate filigree work is safer on a pendant than on a ring.
• Any shape: Geometric, organic, asymmetrical—gravity is your only constraint.

Popular Pendant Designs

1. The Bezel Set Stone:
Choose a beautiful cabochon (like a blue topaz or moonstone) and build a silver "cup" (bezel) to hold it. Add a decorative border of twisted wire or silver granules.

2. The Cut-Out:
Draw a silhouette (a palm tree, a wave, a mountain range) on a silver sheet and use a jeweler's saw to cut it out. This tests your sawing precision!

3. The Locket Style:
Create a multi-layered piece with a hidden backplate or a moving component.

The Challenge of Earrings

Earrings are deceptively tricky. Why? Because you have to make two of them!

Making one beautiful earring is easy. Making a second one that matches the first exactly in size, shape, and weight is a true test of a silversmith's skill. It teaches you consistency and measurement.

Styles to Try

• Studs: Simple, elegant, and great for everyday wear. You'll learn to solder the post (the stick part) perfectly perpendicular to the design.
• Drop Earrings: These involve making a hook wire and attaching a dangling element. They catch the light beautifully when you move.
• Hoops: You can hammer texture onto thick wire and form it into large or small hoops.

Technical Skills You Will Learn

Choosing a pendant or earrings introduces new techniques that you wouldn't learn making a simple band ring:

• Making Bails: The "loop" that the chain goes through. It needs to be big enough for the chain but proportional to the pendant.
• Balancing Weight: Especially for earrings, you learn to keep the silver thin enough so it doesn't drag down your earlobe.
• Finding the Center of Gravity: If you solder the bail in the wrong spot, your pendant will hang crooked!

Can Beginners Do This?

Absolutely. While making a matching pair of earrings requires patience, our instructors are there to help you measure twice and cut once. Pendants are actually often easier than rings because you don't have to worry about sizing it to fit a finger perfectly.

So next time you visit Alas Arum, look at the samples on the wall. You might just find that your perfect souvenir isn't a ring at all.