Monday. So much to do! One task was great fun, and quickly accomplished... Marsha had gifted me with a pair of her new/prototype porcelain shard head pins. We were talking about the use of nichrome wire in jewelry – leave it exposed, cover it… I decided to design a pair of earrings with the wire covered. The nichrome doesnt particularly bother me, I was just being the devil’s advocate, you know?  (Nichrome aparently is an alloy of nickle. I am guessing it will not darken with time. I know when I use  nickel silver sheet – it will not patina with LoS – I use a SHarpie!)

The stages of experimentation: (Clockwise from top left)

1.  Cover the nichrome wire with a coil. I used 24 ga Parawire in gunmetal. (Thanks Kerry for the coiling inspiration!)

2. I originally thought a gunmetal link. Seeing it – it was too “the same”. The coil texture was lost in the uniform color. 

3. White Clover Kiln bead caps. Adorable – but I wanted to not go too floral, and decided to vary the colors a bit more. 

4. Testing out a patterned copper chain link, like it! Sadly – these enameled bead caps from Sally Russick were rejected too. Marsha had done some combinations like this and I was striving to be different – not to let that subliminal influence take hold!

The results! I like the simple copper bead cap and the copper link together. These are lightweight, and I like them… but

  

Option A: dangles of pearl, hematite, and turquoise – the metal’s palette as gems. 

Option B: One single dangle – a copper pearl. 

I want to hear your opinion! Which option do you prefer?