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.)
(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.
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!)
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.
- 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!
How to make your own elegant freshwater pearl earrings
These earrings look super complicated and fancy but actually whip up super fast.
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
Instructions
- Make four sets of mobius spirals: 2 sets with the 7.0 jump rings and two sets with the 4.5 jump rings.
- String one of the freshwater pearls onto the headpin.
- Trim off the ends so that there is about 1 cm of pin sticking out above the pearl.
- Bend the pin at about a 90-degree angle.
- Wrap the hand pin around one nose of the round-nose pliers OR step pliers to form a loop above the bead.
- Take one of the 3.5 mm jump rings and loop it through the large spiral and through the headpin you just made.
- Carefully add on the smaller mobius spiral, and gently close up the jump ring holding them together until they make a nice click.
- 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.
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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
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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 🙂
Thank you, Janine!
Omg how fabulous are these earrings!?!?! Pearls are my absolute favorite to wear!
Thanks, CourtneyLynne. I adore pearls as well 🙂
Well now we can all be amazing gift givers, thanks to you!
They seem like a timeless look – and I love them personally.
Thank you! I’d like to think they are timeless also 🙂
Wow! These are so pretty! I’m so not skilled enough to make these!
Thanks, Stefanie! I think they look more complicated than they are 😉
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!
Thank you, Dana! I also do enjoy buying jewelry 😉
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
I bet your daughters would have a blast making them!
Ahh I love making jewelry, but have never made freshwater pearl earrings before! Thanks for the tutorial! Bookmarking for future reference!
Hope you enjoy making then, Jennifer!
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
Aw, sorry about that! I hope you can make them at least 🙂
Looking forward to trying to make these! What gauge jump rings do you typically use?
Hi, Louise! I typically use 18-guage jump rings. Didn’t realize I had not put that in, will adjust the tutorial. Thanks 🙂
Awesome! Thank you for the quick response!!
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??
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.
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! =)
Thanks, Lana, I’m glad you like it 🙂 I generally use about a 24 gauge headpin. The holes in the pearls are so tiny!
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.
Thank you so much, Terry!
I don’t see how you made the spiral. There is no info telling how to do it.
Hi, Teresa. There’s a link in the tutorial to this tutorial, which shows you how to make the spiral. Hope that helpe!
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?
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!
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.
Pearls are indeed beautiful!