Handmade star shaped dangle earrings. Holiday style starfish in black/gold enamel. Beachy, tropical, fun! Artful Jewelry by DianaHDesigns

Handmade Made of copper, vitreous enamel, sterling silver, gold plated Drop length: 1 1/2 inches Length: 2 inches Width: 1.25 inches Ear wire closure Handmade star or starfish shaped black/gold enamel dangle earrings are one-of-a-kind earrings perfect for the Holidays! Sterling silver/gold-plated ear wires. Colors along with their shape lend themselves to becoming a year-round favorite as they will take you from one season through to the next. In this particular pair of starfish earrings I have used crackle enamel to create fine black lines against a translucent golden background which creates a pattern quite like that of a real starfish! The reverse side of the earrings are beautifully enameled in a shiny black. Ear wires are gold-plated with sterling silver ball accents. The gold in the ear wires accents the golden translucent color of the starfish beautifully! 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.