Etched Flower Earrings With Feathery Petals

Flowers, happily for nature and the humans that admire them, come in all shapes and forms. The petals on these flower earrings are almost feathery.

The pattern was etched onto sterling silver.

Etching is a fun but time-consuming process. I begin with sheet silver. I select my design and print it on special paper. The design is burnished onto the heated metal and the paper is peeled off. The silver sheet is then floated on an acid bath. The exposed metal gets etched with the pattern. The silver is neutralized in a bath and the special blue paper for the design is scrubbed off with a solvent.

I cut out the earrings from the silver sheet using a jeweler's saw. And deliberately gave the earrings a point at the lower end to follow the design of the flower. I filed and smoothed the edges, then painted patina onto the etched surface to accentuate the design. 

These are very festive earrings for special occasions or daily wear.

Dimensions: 1 and 1/2 inches long X 1 and 1/4 inches across

Sterling silver ear wires. These can be switched to comfortable sterling silver clip-ons for an additional charge.