Making Earrings - What's the best wire/materials to use?

Question

I want to start making jewelery (particularly earrings) but I would like to know what's the best type of wire to use (I did my research and found most likely nickel-free surgical steel earring posts or sterling silver, but what do you guys think?) and what glue to use when connecting little knick knacks (say, a plastic LEGO for example) to a post. I know for the hooks, you have to use wire, but for the posts, is using super-glue to connect a LEGO to a post okay, or is there any better option?

Thanks, sorry this is a confusing question. :P

Answer 1

If you think this question is confusing, you should see some of the others on here!  Yours ain't so bad, honestly.  All your sentences actually had a subject and a verb, for one thing.

More importantly, I actually understand what you want to know.  

Anyway, all that aside, I say sterling is your best option.  I use 20gauge half hard (20ga HH) wire for actually constructing the earwire and the dangly bits.  For any wire wrapping, I use 24ga dead soft.  It sits nicely and conforms well to almost any shape.  You do need to anchor both ends when you're using the lighter gauges, like 24ga or 26ga.  

I can highly recommend Santa Fe Jewelers Supply (www.sfjssantafe.com) for any of your wire and metal needs.  The sterling silver wire is about $20.- an ounce just now.  In 20ga, that ounce gives you 19 feet.  In 24ga, you get 32 or 33 feet.  So, even with using the 20gaHH for earrings, I get it for just over a buck a foot.  Nice, hm?  SFJS is a wholesaler but they do not require their customers to have a business license.  (Yes, some wholesalers do.)   There's a $5.- small order handling fee on any order under $50.- but if you get a friend to order stuff, too, you'll get the $50.- easily.  If you also make other jewelry than just earrings, check out their other sections.  Findings gets you things like pins and chains and all that stuff.  Their base metal findings include silver-plated and gold-plated chains for extremely reasonable prices.  The customer service is very good, I have found -- when they make a goof they fix it quickly.  I've shopped there for several years now.

You can buy pre-formed earwires there, too, but I prefer shaping my own.  I wrap a short length of 20gaHH wire around a pen and then shape the ends -- be sure to file the point that goes through the ear if you make your own.  A metal nail file will do fine for that.  

As for gluing something to an earpost, you'll want to get the right kind of post.  You can get them with the flat front.  As long as the glue doesn't touch the ear's skin, it doesn't much matter what kind you use.  Super Glue would work for that, as long as it's not going to be touching skin after it's dry.  Lots of folks get allergic sores from dried Super Glue if it's in contact with skin for a longer time, as it would be if one were wearing earrings it was on.  If you want your post earrings to be widely acceptable, go with something nickel-free for the posts.

I started making jewelry largely due to my own metal allergies.  When I make my own, I can get sterling silver earrings for less than a dollar per pair.  I usually get 14-25 pair per ounce. If I sell them for anywhere from $5.- to $15.- per pair, you can see I don't need to sell very many to pay for that ounce of wire.  I sometimes say I get my own earrings free that way.