Design This - Matching Earrings for Aqua Necklace

Will someone want earrings with this necklace? I often ask myself this question when designing new pieces. Sometimes I make matching earrings and someone just wants the earrings or the necklace. I normally will split a set I have made but the customer will lose out on the discount I usually factor into the price of a set. Often I don't make matching earrings and occasionally someone will ask about their availability. I think custom orders for necklaces or jewelry sets will be the only time I will get the answer to that question right 100% of the time because I get to ask my customer beforehand.

I was at a show earlier this year where someone fell in love with one of my necklaces. She said she really loved the colors I had used. The next thing she said was to ask if I had matching earrings. I told her I was not positive whether I still had any of the beads left I had used in the necklace. Luckily she wanted the necklace either way but I could tell she really hoped to be able to get fairly short dangling matching earrings too.

I took her contact info and shortly after the show I was able to go through my stock and see what I could come up with. Luckily I still had a couple of the small dark aqua beads that I had used in the necklace as well as some of the dark AB coated spacer beads. I also had some smaller faceted gold beads that I thought would be better suited for the size earrings requested than the gold bicones I had used in the necklace. I had not asked if my customer preferred posts or French style ear wires so I sent a mock up photo with both choices for her to look at. After sending the photo, she asked that I phone her because she felt more comfortable nailing down the details that way. She wound up picking the French ear wires. After receiving her payment I popped the matching earrings in the mail and was pleased to find an email a few days later from her letting me know she had received her new earrings and that they were just as she had envisioned.

If you see some of my jewelry sets and only want one component or fall in love with a necklace that does not have matching earrings, feel free to ask if I can split a set or make a matching pair of earrings, depending on your needs.

Design This – Earrings to Match Black & Gold Beaded Necklace

I have another opportunity to introduce you to a wonderful artisan who was able to make a custom item for me that I had been hoping to trip across but had had no luck finding. Several years ago I purchased a mostly black and gold seed bead necklace. There were no matching earrings available at the time from that artisan. I have been on the lookout since then for some black and gold seed bead earrings that would complement the necklace.

Late last year a fellow Etsian purchased one of my items from my EDCCollective shop. I noticed her shop was filled with lovely seed bead jewelry, most importantly several earring styles I thought might look good with my black and gold necklace. When I had the chance earlier this year, I took some photos of my necklace, including close ups of the detail along with a ruler for scale and sent them off to see if this artisan would be interested in giving me a bid on some custom earrings to go with my necklace. She said that she would be happy to, so I shipped my necklace off to her to make it easier for her to match bead colors and the pattern on the necklace.

After receiving the necklace, this artisan asked me for some more input regarding dimensions. Soon I received some photos of my completed matching earrings. I was totally pleased with what she had done. I was also impressed with the level of detail that she put into the earrings. She noticed that my necklace was made with a square stitch instead of the native beading peyote stitch that she was accustomed to. Instead of making something similar using the more familiar peyote stitch, she experimented a bit so she could make my earrings with a square stitch to more perfectly match my necklace.

I had the opportunity to wear my necklace and new earrings at a reception last weekend. I loved the way the lightweight earrings moved as I moved my head. I received many compliments from others at the event. If you are in the market for some lovely beaded earrings, I strongly encourage you to check out her shop, Lakota Charm, on Etsy. Whether you fall in love with some ready to ship earrings in her shop or want some custom work done, I am certain you will be very pleased with your purchase from this artisan.