Handmade cosmic sterling silver/vitreous enamel lever-back earrings. DianaHDesigns Galaxy Collection out-of-this-world one-of-a-kind pieces

Handmade Made of vitreous enamel, sterling silver Drop length: 2 inches Length: 2 1/2 inches Width: 3/4 inches Lever back closure Gorgeous modern sterling silver earrings with black and white vitreous enamel. Cosmic design inspired by a beautiful starry night! Handmade and one-of-a-kind, these are out of this world! You will never see them on anyone else! Having made a similar pair of these fabulous earrings along with the coordinating necklace for myself, I can tell you that I am constantly stopped & asked about these when I wear them! From my signature "Galaxy Collection", they 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 or shorts as it is with a little black dress and heels! This pair of earrings has had many different techniques and materials come together in its design and creation! The fused sterling silver design is accented with a custom sized and shape of vitreous enamel that I have created specifically for it. I have chosen black and white for my enamel color palette as it reinforces the "Galaxy" starry night theme! I have used techniques called sgraffito and crackle in its creation. The enamel is fired over copper. Read below for a further explanation of the vitreous enamel process if you are interested! These enamel components dangle from the sterling silver top component with the end result being a pair of earrings that are reminiscent of a star-studded evening sky with dimensional full moons in the distance...or maybe its the sun...you decide! 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! Notice the coordinating necklace! These can be found in a separate listing. You will absolutely love wearing these earrings! Gift Wrap as shown is free! It is just me working in my studio, but my commitment is to make your order and ship it within 1 business day (Monday - Friday) of receiving the order. 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. If you would like them faster I can ship them via USPS Priority Mail. Please choose that option at check-out. Exchanges I want you to be happy with your purchase. Each piece is handmade by me in my home studio in Sarasota, Florida. I am not able to offer refunds on items made to order. If you need to exchange your purchase, please call or email me to discuss. Thank You! Interested in knowing more about the process of vitreous enamel? 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 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