My friend and team mate, Vicki from Orion Designs has written another simple to follow tutorial to make handmade earwires, with a bit of a twist, from sterling silver wire.
Making ear wires is such a great way to either get into using wire and/or perfecting technique. You’ll be able to practice :
1. Measuring accurately
2. Bending and spiraling the wire without making tool marks
3. Making two matching wires
4. Hammering
5. Filing
6. Using several different tools for different applications
Happy bending! 
Vicki says:
This style of earwire has been a bestseller for me for many years. I offer it almost exclusively as an interchangeable earring, which I sell in sets with 5 different pairs of drops. (See the image below)
Cut a 3″ piece of 20 ga half-hard sterling silver wire. At one end, make the smallest, roundest loop you can with round nose pliers.
Using your favorite pair of pliers (I use my bent nose pliers with a coating of Tool Magic), set the loop in the jaws of the pliers, close to the joint. With your thumb, coax the wire up and around the initial loop to start the spiral. Reposition the the spiral and repeat until there are 2 1/2 revolutions.
Flatten this spiral. Here, I’ve used my rolling mill, but this could be done just as effectively with a chasing hammer and an anvil or bench block.
Place the flattened spiral in the jaws of the pliers and bend the remaining wire back at a 90 degree angle. With the other earring in the pair, you will bend this wire toward you at a 90 degree angle. This will create 2 earrings that are mirror images of each other.
Place your round nose pliers just past the bend and using your fingers, bend the remaining wire straight up. This will create the space where your dangle will go.
To create the part that goes through your ear, I use a size 13 aluminum knitting needle, as shown in the photo. I find it helpful to do both earrings at once, to ensure that they are the same length.
Using a chasing hammer and anvil, flatten the top of this curve. This will work-harden your earwire even more and provide the desired “springiness”. Don’t forget to file the ends and make a small bend in the end, if desired. You can also toss all your newly created earwires into your tumbler to make them a bit more sturdy and to shine them.
Thanks again for sharing Vicki!
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cool tutorial thanks for sharing
This is great! Thanks!
wow, those are lovely!
Vicki this is a fantastic tutorial. Thanks for sharing it with all of us
Nicole/Beadwright
Fun tutorial
What a fantastic tutorial! Thanks Vicki for sharing.
These are pretty and unique. I can’t wait to start practicing on these thanks again Vicki and Kristy
Wonderful tutorial!
That is a helpful tut! Wow, they do look great.
Wow! That looks so complicated, and you do it beautifully!
I love this idea and will practice, practice, practice because I’ve tried to make spirals before and they never come out even. Good tutorial. Your pictures and instructions are clear and precise. Hope they can get through my thick head.