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Woo hoo! I just got these sweet acorn charms in golden brass and needless to say, they are great for DIY earrings (okay, also dangles for bracelets and necklaces, absolutely!)
I featured these same style charms in silver (see my post here) – and people have been loving them! Small, cute, well-made charms are such a hit this spring. And these are made in the USA – quality all the way.
They’re quite sturdy but as you can see in the pic, they’re hollow back – which makes for super comfortable earrings. I don’t know about you, but I’ve pretty much had it with heavy earrings. I’m all for the comfort. And great style.
Affordable is nice too, if you know what I mean 😉 Who doesn’t like saving money! Which is one of the great things about DIY. You don’t have to have 10 years experience. You don’t need to invest big bucks. You can do this!
And then, there are times when you want a golden earring – no jewel tones, just metal, and not expensive – but looking rich. Hey, I sell glass jewels, and I love the sparkle – but sometimes I want a little quieter luxe. Like these:
Are those not a graceful, feminine shape? They’re a bit over 1″ long, large enough to have presence but still lightweight and comfy (yes I’m big on comfort). They’re perfect when you want something special – but you don’t want to shout 🙂
Affordable, comfortable, gorgeous: this is a win 🙂
I just love these cute little charms (or can we say, darling minimalist earrings?)
As you can see in the second pic, these little charms are hollow – so they’re very lightweight – perfect for comfy earrings. Also inexpensive. But they’re also beautifully formed – look at the detail! They’re made and plated in the US, and the manufacturer has been a leader in the brass (and brass stampings and jewelry findings) field for most of the 20th century.
These charms are the perfect touch when you want to add a little ornament to your jewelry design – or make a minimalist statement.
Win 🙂
Color is one of the most fun things to play with. And we sometimes forget to experiment and try new ideas. We always use blue with green, or red with black, or, well, just imagine the same-old-same-old combo you’ve been wearing forever.
Change the experiment. Break the rules. Or just play.
You see what I mean about playing with color – and shapes? Pull out your bead stash, or the glass jewels you’ve been saving. Spread a white cloth (or paper!) on your desktop or work surface, so the colors really show up. Combine shapes you don’t usually use.
Play. You’ll find combos you love. I promise.
I wanted to show you a few earring designs – just as examples – that you could make, with a pair of glass jewels and some ornaments. Simple ones, silver ones, inexpensive and easy to use.
The ornaments I’ve used here are available in my shop – or you may well have some at home that you can use. A feather, a flower, a silver leaf… you see the possibilities. Of course you can use more complex designs – and they can be wonderful. But even simple ideas have great style.
And you can do it 🙂
So these are just examples of the classic crystal rhinestones I was talking about the other day. I played with a few very basic shapes, rearranged a few times to play with design ideas. Like these:
See what I mean? I tried a few “insert Tab A into Slot B” (without actually inserting) – these are simple but effective. I’ll probably post a few more complex styles too – but I wanted to show that clean designs, and simple shapes, can combine to make some very cool earrings without you having to invest a lot of time – or money, for that matter.
(cough) Of course the stones are available in my Etsy shop – with lots more pretty glass beads and rhinestone jewels. Yeah. You knew that 🙂
I tried an experiment again. I gathered together some of the jewels I had on my work table – that hadn’t been put away yet, or were extras I was playing with, or whatever. I had to use what was sitting, randomly, on the table. And I made earrings (okay, I put together the jeweled pieces for earrings, I didn’t actually assemble them. Such a quibble!)
These aren’t colors I would normally use together – and yet, I like what I’ve tried here. Peach, and deep purple amethyst, and peridot green, in one dangling earring? Well, why not? Warm smoky topaz, jonquil yellow, emerald green, and amethyst?
Sure. Warm smoky topaz, jonquil yellow, emerald green, and amethyst. Why not?
I guess the real point here is – take out your bead soup, or uncover it from when your husband came in the workroom and you didn’t want him to think it was all a Mess.
Play with different, unusual, fun combos. Try stuff. You’ll find out some things look good together that you never expected – and sometimes, you’ll make Art.
I’ve found some wonderful new settings for my vintage rhinestone jewels – in golden brass, vintage patina brass, and silver. They make gorgeous multi-stone jewels for your DIY jewelry! Here are just a few sample colors:
They measure just a smidge over 1″ high, so they’re a great size for earrings and pendants too – not too heavy to wear but plenty big enough to be noticed 🙂 And I’ve got lots of colors yet to photograph – vintage glass jewels in emerald green, rose pink, sparkling crystal and more. And the sparkly little rhinestones can be varied too – there are some wonderful combos possible!
Make your own earrings to match that perfect dress – or for your bridesmaids – or your mum for Mother’s Day. Do it – you’ll love the earrings (and she will too!)
P.S. Just an added bonus: the settings are all made in America and they’re brass, which is nickel and lead free – these are gentle and easy on the skin.
There’s the question 🙂 Some people call these lovely old rhinestones “jewels”. Or “stones”. Or “beads”. The terms are almost but not quite interchangeable.
Technically – if I’m informed correctly! – beads have holes in them, or rather through them, so that a wire or pin may be inserted in order to attach the bead to your jewelry piece. You can see the holes easily in these clear glass heart beads:
However, vintage glass “jewels” or “stones” have no holes. They’re placed in a metal setting which has a loop or ring so the jewel may be attached to your jewelry item:
See, there’s a loop or ring on the metal setting – not a hole through the “bead”.
That shows you the technical differences.
But in reality? They’re all treated as “beads” – the general term that applies to pretty charms, dangles or beads, that you use to create jewelry. People ask for beads all the time when they might mean cabochons, jewels, stones, or, well, beads. It’s all good 🙂
And of course, I’ve usually got some lovely heart beads – or jewels – in my Etsy jewelry supplies shop. Go peek – and if you don’t see what you need, just ask!
I’ve got a few new colors of these pretty rhinestone connectors in my Etsy shop. If you make jewelry, they’re super useful. Use them as links for bracelets or leading to the focal on a necklace. And when you use them for earring dangles, you can combine them with other jewels to make smashing color combos.
Add a peridot teardrop jewel to the rose pink rhinestone connector. Or a shimmering Swarovski pearl to the crystal connectors. Or – well, you see what I mean. These are fun to work with!
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Jewelry and Accessories
Vintage, Recycled, Upcycled!
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