I’ve mentioned before that one of my goals here on Modern Metalsmithing is to not only talk about technique, but to talk about design.
That’s because it’s important to me that you develop your own design sensibility right along with your metalsmithing skills.
So today, I want to talk about the ins and out of designing earrings. More specifically, statement earrings.
Statement earrings are a fun design project (that’s why I made them the focus of my beginner class) because they present some unique opportunities, but they also present some design challenges.
Here are three things to consider when designing statement earrings:
1. Weight
One of the biggest challenges of designing statement earrings is weight. The very idea of statement earrings is that they are BIG, yet they hang from the ear, so you don’t want them to be too uncomfortable or pull your ears too much. (Ask any woman who lived through the 80s how she – and her ear lobes – feels about statement earrings now.)
When it comes to statement earrings, there are two primary ways to keep weight down:
The first is with metal gauge. The thinner the metal, the lighter it will be. For statement earrings, I like to use 22 or even 24 gauge metal (especially if they’re really big).
The second way to keep weight down is with negative space. The more cutouts you have, the lighter your earrings will be. Even if the focus is on a big exterior shape, I recommend finding ways to integrate some negative space into the middle of your design to help keep the weight down!
2. Movement
One of the reasons so many designers love making earrings is because there’s so much room for movement and play. They’re basically like mini mobiles hanging from your ears! But all that movement also means more opportunities for earrings to cut caught or end up at an awkward angle. So it’s essential that you think about how your earrings will move.
Movement also plays a role in how comfortable your statement earrings are. One solid, flat sheet of metal can actually get pretty unwieldy. That’s why I recommend thinking about how you can break larger designs into smaller components connected by jump rings. Not only will this give the pieces more movement on the head, it allows the earrings to curve or fold as they bump into hair, scarves, collars, or even shoulders. This makes them much more comfortable in the long run.
3. Balance
I mentioned that earrings are essentially like mini mobiles, typically hanging from the ear from one center point. This means balance is a key consideration when designing earrings. This doesn’t mean that your earrings have to be symmetrical down the center line, it just means you have to think about the center of gravity as you design.
I recommend cutting designs out of cardstock or cardboard first, then punching a hole, putting in an ear wire, and seeing how they hang. Do they hang the way you envisioned or do they tip awkwardly one direction? If the balance is off, you can adjust by tweaking the design itself, changing the position of the hole where the ear wire is connected, or even adding cutouts to one side to make the weight more even.
It’s also important to consider balance within the pair of earrings. If both earrings are the same, it’s not a problem. But if you’re designing an asymmetrical pair, it’s important to consider balance, both visually and literally. (Having one earring that’s significantly heavier than the other can actually bother the wearer throughout the course of a day.)
Statement earrings certainly aren’t known for being the most practical jewelry design, but if you spend a little time with these three considerations, there’s no reason you can’t design earrings that are big on impact AND comfortable to wear at the same time!
Want to learn how to design and make your own statement earrings from sheet metal? Check out my beginner class! (No torch required!)
Want to learn how to expand your jewelry ideas (statement earrings or otherwise) into a cohesive collection? Check out my latest class, Core & Explore!
