DIY - Sea Glass Earrings

I've been recently enjoying my time at the beach over near Rockaway.  The beach after Sandy has been a bit depressing, but the state has been rebuilding the boardwalk slowly, but surely.  My boyfriend and I usually like to walk at least a mile up and down the beach to get some exercise while collecting sea shells.  In recent days, however, we have been collecting something other than sea shells.  He has introduced me to sea glass, which are little colored glass pieces you can find in the sand.  What makes this particular glass special is that the long wear in the sand and in the water has eroded all the sharp points and left a lovely smooth surface all around the piece.  On top of that, the glass is left with a frosted finish.  We found a few different shades of glass, as well as very interesting shapes.  One piece we even found was from an old Coca Cola bottle, which still had the logo intact, even though the piece was worn from the waves of the ocean.

After gaining a bit of a collection of random pieces of glass, I decided to make some jewelry with it.  Here are all the tools I used...

• Sea glass
• Swarovski beads
• Glass plated wire
• Different Pliers

I took 9 inches of wire and folded it in half, looped it around the circular pliers and created the base for the back of the sea glass.  I then started twisting the wire around to create the backing for the earring.  The twisted wiring will hold the sea glass upright without having to puncture the glass itself.

From there, I took a bead and placed it at the top and then began twisting the wire around to make one thick wire.

Securing the Bead in Place

Wire Twisting

I then ended up measuring out the length of the glass to how long I needed the wire to be twisted.  This will be the backing.

From here, I twisted the wire around the glass to secure it safely and firmly so the glass would not fall out.  I designed the wires to my liking and then twisted it into place at the top to hold the glass in place.

I tucked the top of the wire underneath the bead so it wouldn't snag or poke the wearer.  The ends of the wire were clipped and flattened as well.  You wouldn't want a sharp piece of wire poking at your head when you have those pretty earrings on, would you?  I finished up by putting earring hooks at the top of the loops and stoppers so they wouldn't fall off the user's ears.

Adding the Hook

Finished Product!

Done!  It wasn't really difficult to make.  I think I may go back into my jewelry business and start selling some new and fun pieces.  They'll all be hand made by me and they'll be priced accordingly, according to size, shape, color, and rarity of the product.  All my stones are going to be natural and found in the ocean, so no two will be alike.  What's the fun in having the same things as everyone else? I'm very happy by the finished product.  They actually look sophisticated and artsy.  After I finished these, I took my extra glass pieces and made a few more.

I found these green pieces on the shore and I'm assuming they were from old Heineken bottles.  I turned them into earrings and they look gorgeous.  I'm just a little weary on the sizing because these two don't really match in size.  I do love the contrast between the gold and the green though!  I am looking to make a pendant to match, but I have to go to the beach first. 

I also made these blue ones to just see how it would look with the silver wiring.  I think I like the cool feel to it and I was experimenting on various designs.  Let me know what you all think!  If any of you are interested in a pair, let me know and I can custom make one for you in any color and shape you desire.  Each stone I find is usually about an inch long, so just let me know if you want anything larger or smaller.  Anyway, it's time for bed.  See you soon!