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freshwater pearls on a mug

How to make your own elegant freshwater pearl earrings

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freshwater pearl earrings
red freshwater pearl and silver earrings
freshwater pearl earrings
silver freshwater pearl earrings
silver freshwater pearl earrings
burgundy freshwater pearls
freshwater pearl earrings
multi color freshwater pearl silver earrings

Learn how to make pearl earrings that look super complicated and fancy but actually whip up super fast.

Back when I had my jewelry business, I would easily crank out about 15 pairs of these elegant DIY freshwater pearl earrings in an hour during my busy season. (But don’t be alarmed if it takes you more than four minutes. When I first started making these it would take me about 15 minutes a pair.)

purple pearl earrings

(Which, by the way, is faaaaaaaar less time than it takes to actually put this tutorial together. That actually takes me hours — so you’re welcome!)

The take about the same amount of time to make as the matching DIY single pearl necklace.

freshwater pearl jewelry set video course

By the way, for your convenience, I have included affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure here.

For the longest time, these were my bread-and-butter jewelry. I always had a stand full of them at my shows and they were always one of my best sellers, if not the best seller. It still makes me smile when I see someone I know wearing a pair of them.

You can make these earrings in a rainbow of colors, or substitute the pearls for your favorite type of gem or eco-friendly bead. (Just make sure whatever bead you use it’s on the smaller side, as these spirals are quite small themselves!)

freshwater pearl earrings

How to make pearl earrings at home

In this tutorial, you’ll learn:

  • How to string a freshwater pearl on a headpin
  • How to make a wire loop
  • How to connect everything using jump rings

Before we jump into this pearl earring DIY, here are a few notes:

  • I HIGHLY recommend these flat nose pliers for any of my jewelry tutorials. Keep in mind you will need two pairs of these pliers. Yes, they are pricey, but they are WORTH the investment if you plan on making a lot of jewelry. They are hands down the best jewelry tool I have ever purchased. 

two pairs of purple pliers with silver jump rings in the background

  • The main feature of this tutorial is a 3-ring mobius spiral. Unsure how to make one? You can learn how in my free mini video course.
  • This tutorial assumes some basic jewelry-making skills, including creating a simple eye loop above a pin. This tutorial includes some images below, but if you’d like videos demonstrating how to do all of the skills needed for this tutorial, my paid course, Metal to Masterpiece, covers EVERYTHING you’ll need to make this and most of my other jewelry-making tutorials. 
  • Want to make your own fish hook ear wires used in this tutorial? Check out this video tutorial that teaches you how!
Continue to Content

How to make your own elegant freshwater pearl earrings

pearl earrings on a mug

These earrings look super complicated and fancy but actually whip up super fast.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Difficulty Easy

Materials

Jump Rings

  • 6 large open jump rings (I use 7.0 mm inner diameter sterling silver rings)
  • 6 smaller open jump rings (I use 4.5 mm inner diameter sterling silver rings)
  • 2 small open jump rings (I use 3.5 mm inner diameter sterling silver rings)

Other materials

  • Fish hook ear wires
  • 2 small round freshwater pearls (I recommend about 5-6mm round pearls)
  • 2 ball head pins

Tools

  • 2 pairs of flat nose pliers (I HIGHLY recommend these Wubers flat nose pliers mentioned above)
  • Round nose pliers OR Step pliers (also known as Bail forming pliers)
  • Flush cutter

Instructions

  1. Make four sets of mobius spirals: 2 sets with the 7.0 jump rings and two sets with the 4.5 jump rings. Pliers with sterling silver moibus spirals
  2. String one of the freshwater pearls onto the headpin. pearl on a headpin
  3. Trim off the ends so that there is about 1 cm of pin sticking out above the pearl. hand cutting a headpin with a pearl
  4. Bend the pin at about a 90-degree angle. hand holding a freshwater pearl on a headpin
  5. Wrap the hand pin around one nose of the round-nose pliers OR step pliers to form a loop above the bead. Hand holding jewelry plier with pearl
  6. Take one of the 3.5 mm jump rings and loop it through the large spiral and through the headpin you just made. Hand holding jewelry plier with pearl
  7. Carefully add on the smaller mobius spiral, and gently close up the jump ring holding them together until they make a nice click. Hand holding jewelry plier with pearl Hand holding jewelry plier with pearl
  8. Add on the ear wire and adjust the earrings if need be so that the pearl is in the front. Repeat with the other parts and tada — your own elegant freshwater pearl earrings!

Notes

  • In my FREE mini video course, Jump Ring Jewels, you'll learn the right way to open and close a jump ring and how to make a Mobius spiral. Click here register or go to www.linkouture.com/jewelry-making-basics.
  • This tutorial assumes some basic jewelry-making skills, but if you'd like a video tutorial of this and all of the other skills used in this tutorial, I recommend you register for my paid course, Metal to Masterpiece. Click here to register or go to www.linkouture.com/fundamentals
  • Want to make your own fish hook earrings? I have a video tutorial that teaches you how to make them! Click here to purchase the tutorial or visit my course shop at linkouture.thinkific.com.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Step pliers
  • Round nose pliers
    Round nose pliers
  • Flush Cutter
    Flush Cutter
  • Flat nose pliers
    Flat nose pliers
© Bev Feldman
Project Type: Necklace / Category: Advanced Beginner Jewelry Tutorials

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More jewelry making tutorials you’ll love!

  • Freshwater pearl necklace — This necklace coordinates perfectly with the earrings in this tutorials
  • Spiral chain bracelet — This chic bracelet looks really complicated but is basically just a bunch of spirals strung together. 
  • Fish hook ear wires — Create your own fish hook ear wires like the ones in this tutorial

Enjoyed this tutorial? Pin it for later!

Your shares are how this site grows and I am sincerely grateful. Know a friend who’d like this? Please share it on Facebook or save it to your favorite jewelry-making DIY ideas board on Pinterest.

freshwater pearl earrings

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Advanced Beginner Jewelry Tutorials, DIY & Crafts, DIY, Tutorials & Recipes, Earrings, Jewelry Tutorials, Uncategorized 35

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Janine Huldie says

    May 9, 2016 at 2:35 pm

    Absolutely gorgeous and seriously you are just so talented. Great tutorial, but I am seriously so not good at stuff like this, but wish I was as I would totally try if I could 🙂

    Reply
    • Bev F. says

      May 15, 2016 at 10:34 am

      Thank you, Janine!

      Reply
  2. CourtneyLynne Storms says

    May 9, 2016 at 9:04 pm

    Omg how fabulous are these earrings!?!?! Pearls are my absolute favorite to wear!

    Reply
    • Bev F. says

      May 15, 2016 at 10:34 am

      Thanks, CourtneyLynne. I adore pearls as well 🙂

      Reply
  3. Tamara Bowman says

    May 9, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    Well now we can all be amazing gift givers, thanks to you!
    They seem like a timeless look – and I love them personally.

    Reply
    • Bev F. says

      May 15, 2016 at 10:35 am

      Thank you! I’d like to think they are timeless also 🙂

      Reply
  4. Stefanie / The Monarch Mommy says

    May 12, 2016 at 10:55 am

    Wow! These are so pretty! I’m so not skilled enough to make these!

    Reply
    • Bev F. says

      May 15, 2016 at 10:35 am

      Thanks, Stefanie! I think they look more complicated than they are 😉

      Reply
  5. Dana says

    May 12, 2016 at 10:31 pm

    15 in an hour? Impressive! I pinned this post so others can find it and make their own earrings…I will fully admit that I am more the buying-jewelry type than the making-jewelry type!

    Reply
    • Bev F. says

      May 15, 2016 at 10:35 am

      Thank you, Dana! I also do enjoy buying jewelry 😉

      Reply
  6. Mrs.AOK says

    May 13, 2016 at 1:04 pm

    WOW! You make it seem effortless, but I know I would make it a marathon. I do have a few mini jewelry makers who I’m sure would love to give this a try. Pinned this for them 🙂
    XOXO
    http://www.mrsaokaworkinprogress.com

    Reply
    • Bev F. says

      May 15, 2016 at 10:36 am

      I bet your daughters would have a blast making them!

      Reply
  7. Jennifer Corter says

    May 13, 2016 at 3:11 pm

    Ahh I love making jewelry, but have never made freshwater pearl earrings before! Thanks for the tutorial! Bookmarking for future reference!

    Reply
    • Bev F. says

      May 15, 2016 at 10:36 am

      Hope you enjoy making then, Jennifer!

      Reply
  8. Dakota says

    May 16, 2016 at 12:02 pm

    Ah, darn! These have been on my wishlist for my hubby for a while. Thank you for the tutorial though… maybe I’ll get ambitious and try to make my own pair. <3

    Reply
    • Bev F. says

      May 17, 2016 at 9:53 pm

      Aw, sorry about that! I hope you can make them at least 🙂

      Reply
  9. Louise says

    January 14, 2017 at 11:22 pm

    Looking forward to trying to make these! What gauge jump rings do you typically use?

    Reply
    • Bev Feldman says

      January 15, 2017 at 8:10 am

      Hi, Louise! I typically use 18-guage jump rings. Didn’t realize I had not put that in, will adjust the tutorial. Thanks 🙂

      Reply
      • Louise says

        January 15, 2017 at 9:43 am

        Awesome! Thank you for the quick response!!

        Reply
  10. DeeDee says

    April 8, 2018 at 7:18 pm

    Hi- love these earrings but when I tried to make them using your exact jump ring sizes I could not get a pearl to fit inside the 7mm jump rings. I tried making the smallest loop with the head pin (the loop above the pearl) but no matter how small I made it the pearl would not fall inside the three 7mm rings. Any advise??

    Reply
    • Bev Feldman says

      April 10, 2018 at 5:13 pm

      Oh no, no frustrating! What size pearl are you using? I usually use about a 4-5mm pearl, which should fit inside or on one side of the spiral. Alternatively, you could try using a slightly bigger ring to make the spiral.

      Reply
  11. Lana says

    April 12, 2018 at 8:12 pm

    What a great design and tutorial – thank you so much! =) What gauge wire do you use for the head pin? I’m still so new to this all and there are so many materials and sizes out there it can make one’s head spin – another reason I’m so thankful for your information here to start out! =)

    Reply
    • Bev Feldman says

      April 13, 2018 at 12:40 pm

      Thanks, Lana, I’m glad you like it 🙂 I generally use about a 24 gauge headpin. The holes in the pearls are so tiny!

      Reply
  12. Terry says

    April 29, 2018 at 3:36 pm

    Just beautiful!! I am a jeweler designer that is always seeking new ideas. This one is a keeper. Thank you for sharing your God given talent.

    Reply
    • Bev Feldman says

      May 1, 2018 at 1:35 pm

      Thank you so much, Terry!

      Reply
  13. Teresa says

    May 8, 2018 at 4:33 pm

    I don’t see how you made the spiral. There is no info telling how to do it.

    Reply
    • Bev Feldman says

      May 18, 2018 at 12:18 pm

      Hi, Teresa. There’s a link in the tutorial to this tutorial, which shows you how to make the spiral. Hope that helpe!

      Reply
  14. Marilyn Rutherford says

    August 6, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    I was wondering about the sizes you have quoted for the jump rings. I want to order some but see you say your 7mm, 4.5 and 3.5 are all inside diameter, but on the pages to buy the jump rings they are all quoting the outside diameter. I just wanted to make sure you mean inside diameter, right?

    Reply
    • Bev Feldman says

      August 7, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      Hi Marilyn, that’s a great question! The company that I purchase my rings from gives dimensions by inner diameter, but I see that other sites give outer diameter. In this case, the equivalent is 9mm OD, 6.5mm OD, and 5.5mm OD. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  15. John K. Murray says

    July 27, 2020 at 10:19 am

    This is beautifully Shared! Thank You For this Crucial Information about the Pearls. The Pearls are very rarest thing in the world. The Pearls is the queen of gems and the gems of queens.I favour pearls on screen and in my private life.

    Reply
    • Bev Feldman says

      July 27, 2020 at 4:40 pm

      Pearls are indeed beautiful!

      Reply

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