Reticulated sterling silver/24K gold/enamel modern bold half moon leverback earrings! DianaHDesigns/Artful Handmade Jewelry. Custom order.

Handmade Made of vitreous enamel, 24K gold, sterling silver Drop length: 2 inches Length: 2 1/2 inches Width: 1 inches Lever back closure Statement Earrings...One-of-a-Kind Earrings...Celestial Earrings....Black Gold Silver Jewelry... Luscious glossy and bold black enamel and reticulated sterling silver is accented with 24 k gold in this handmade pair of statement earrings! My designs lean towards modern and bold but with a "cosmic" flair to them. These earrings are certainly that! As geometric and modern as they are, they have somewhat of a cosmic feeling to them as the design elements do somewhat resemble the sun, the stars, planets, the solar system, don't you think? Whatever you see in this design is up to your interpretation but in any event they certainly command attention! They are truly one-of-a-kind and will never be seen on anyone else! So, having written this...these are now SOLD! I am happy to take custom orders, however! We can do a Zoom call or convo or email to discuss. It can be made similarly or to your specifications and/or modifications for a truly “one-of-a-kind, only yours and not to be seen on anyone else” piece of jewelry!! Owning a pair of earrings from this collection along with a coordinating necklace and cuff bracelet for myself, I can tell you that I am constantly stopped & asked about these pieces when I wear them! These statement pieces are many things to include stunning, unusual and unique, and can easily be dressed up or down for a very versatile piece of handmade jewelry! These earrings are as equally at home with a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans as they are with a little black dress and heels! Either way it is a statement piece that is sure to bring lots of compliments! Although the three pieces worn together (or four if you add in a ring!) are absolutely stunning, this is one of those designs that can stand alone...and you can always add the other pieces down the road! When you have a pair of statement earrings like these, who needs a necklace? Of course if you are like me, you may feel something is missing if there isn't something dangling around your neck, and if that is the case a silver or gold necklace that is already in your jewelry chest will readily complement this design. Be prepared for the earrings to become the star, though, while the other pieces play supporting roles! These earrings have had many different techniques and materials come together in its design and creation! The half moon shapes started out as a bare copper sheet metal from which I cut out half moon shapes. These shapes became the base for my vitreous enameling process which you can read more about below if you're interested! I have chosen a deep, dark night sky solid black enamel in this design. Generous accents of 24K gold are incredibly bold and vivid against the black glossy background of the vitreous enamel! The backs are beautifully finished in a solid, glossy black enamel. They dangle beautifully from reticulated sterling silver round domed discs. These also started out as bare sheet metal and from it I have added incredible, deep and rich texture through the reticulation process. Several flat round circle shapes repeat the circle patterns found in the enamel portion of this design. These domed discs were then oxidized with a patina that brings the texture to life! The variety of techniques in this design and this collection overall come together for truly one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry that you, or perhaps the special person you may be giving it to as a gift, will undoubtedly cherish and love! These earrings feature a secure lever-back design ear wire in sterling silver. These ear wires feature a hinged closure that helps protect against loss and makes this earring a snap to put on. Simply insert the wire and close the lever over it to secure the earring in place! They are of the highest quality and are a lovely compliment to the quality of workmanship in this pair of handmade earrings! Read below for a further explanation of both the reticulation process as well as the vitreous enamel process if you are interested! These earrings are entirely made by hand, by me, in my studio. Notice the complementing necklace, ring and bracelet! These are available by custom order if you don't see them posted. Please feel free to convo me with any special requests and custom orders. Gift Wrap as shown is free! It is just me working in my studio. These earrings are available by custom order only. The pair you see pictured is sold. I am happy to make another pair and they will be similar but can never be exactly the same. The timing on a custom order varies depending upon what other orders I have accepted and made a commitment to. Please convo me for specifics and to inquire. I ship from Florida, and time in transit will vary depending upon where in the US you are located. I ship USPS with tracking info, which gets to most places within 3 - 5 business days of being mailed. Priority Mail is available at check-out as an upgrade if you would like it faster! Exchanges I want you to be happy with your purchase. Each piece is handmade by me in my home studio in Sarasota, Florida. If you need to exchange your purchase, please call or email me to discuss. Please note that I am not able to offer refunds on items made to order. Thank You! Interested in knowing more about the process of vitreous enamel and /or the process of reticulation? If so, read on….. And if not, just know these are a quality, beautifully finished handmade pair of one-of-a-kind earrings! Most of my enamel jewelry starts with a piece of copper or silver that has been cut into the shape I envision my completed piece to be. Holes are drilled at this point, rough edges are sanded and filed off and any doming/dapping of the final form occurs at this point. The piece is then carefully and thoroughly cleaned by both scrubbing as well as pickling (immersing in an acidic cleaning solution kept warm in a crock pot). Without touching the surfaces to be enameled (enamel will not adhere to any areas that have any oil from your fingers or other residues), a fine mist of a clear gummy solution is sprayed on that will help the fine enamel particles adhere. Enamel particles (glass in a powdery form) are now sifted on, which comes in various colors, particle size, and formulas. Numerous firings will occur, creating one layer over the next, most often on the front as well as the reverse side of my designs. The many layers create depth and interest as well as giving stability to the piece. Each firing is done from 2 to as many as 7 minutes, in a kiln at approximately 1500 degrees. The firings are typically done 3 to 5 times on the front and 2 to 3 times on the reverse side. Removing the piece at precisely the right time is key to the process and a small window in my kiln allows me to peak in and see what is happening. Removing the piece from the kiln at precisely the right moment is imperative. When I design a pair of earrings I fire the two pieces at the same time. Truly no two pieces are ever the same, however they will be similar to each other by doing this and will create a lovely “coordinating”, not identical, set! I particularly enjoy the processes of crackle enamel and separation enamel, which are the interesting patterns and dimension that you see in many of my designs. These techniques create organic looking pieces that often resemble natural stones and gems….but in the shape and design I want them to be! Vitreous enamel, the process I use, is not to be confused with resin enamel or painted enamel or enamelware or many other uses of the word “enamel”…none of which are glass powders sifted on metal and fired with a torch or in a kiln numerous times at temperatures of approximately 1500 degrees until the powder melts and adheres to the metal creating a layer of gorgeous pure glass over the metal as I have described above…vitreous enamel. Be careful…not all enamels are created equal. Also to be considered is whether or not the vitreous enamel is fired on both sides of the piece you are considering. This is much more time consuming in the creation of the piece but increases its strength and stability, making for a quality, long lasting piece of jewelry. So now you know about the process of creating vitreous enamel jewelry! Truly no two pieces are ever identical! It is a fun and rewarding process. More about reticulation.... Reticulating silver is a very organic process, with no two pieces turning out the same. Although I tend to be very geometric and modern in my work, with well-thought out designs, I find that the process of reticulation somewhat forces me to “let go” and let the process lead me (to a certain extent!) where it wants to go….it is a very Zen-like experience as you absolutely can not have a predetermined outcome…you just need to trust that you have the skill to not melt your metal into a molten pool of hot liquid! I have used "Reticulation Silver" sheet metal in this design, which is an alloy of 80% fine silver and 20% copper. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver (92.5%) and copper (7.5%) so the silver I used for this pair of earrings has a slightly higher copper content. My metal has been “prepped” for the reticulation process itself by completing a variety of steps. Repeatedly heating and quenching and pickling is first. When I have done this multiple times, the copper eventually becomes concentrated at the core of the metal and is surrounded by a skin of fine silver (99.999). At this point my metal is considered ready to be torched with a very hot flame. The hot flame brings the copper core (which has higher melting temperature than silver) to a melting point, creating a liquid contained within a silver skin. This coupled with the direction and path of the flame I am placing on my metal creates various patterns and textures. They are all truly one-of-a-kind and unique! The resulting patterns can look like textured or wrinkled fabric, something I am particularly drawn to, or can even look like a relief map of expansive mountain ranges! It’s a tricky process that requires skill and concentration as there is only about 100 degrees or so between the melting points for the metal skin and the interior…in other words it’s pretty easy to burn a hole right through the sheet of metal if you are not careful! Like most silversmithing techniques, reticulation takes practice. I had the good fortune to study this process under a world renowned jewelry artist and teacher by the name of Harold O’Connor early in 2020. To him I give my repeated thanks and gratitude as I am very comfortable now with the technique and find him to be inspirational. Google him if you are interested in checking out his work! It is amazing!!