Gyrogami Blog - Precious Metals, Jewelry, Artwork

Just an Earwire

Blog Index

Current offerings
Fashionable and effective

Categories: Products; Instruction and information; Jewelry

Word count/read time: 583 words; 2-1/2 minutes

Current earwires can be found here. Additional styles are in development. Even better, I can make (custom) earwires from a design you provide. Just about any silver or gold alloy, purity, or color is possible without delay. (Titanium, niobium, stainless, and other metals take longer and are special order.)

Probably one of the least abused jewelry items is an earring. Aside from the earwire, no other part should touch the user (or anything, hopefully) under normal conditions. Earrings are literally in-your-face visible so everything about them has to be spot-on.

My preferred material is 0.999 fine silver, the shiniest metal. It is less prone to tarnishing than sterling. Hardened for strength, it is among the most hypoallergenic substances. Plus, it has unmatched anti-microbial and anti-viral properties! Unlike sterling or gold alloys, there are no troublemaking nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, or poisonous contaminants.

I spend a lot of time on each earwire...so many opportunities for improvement! Eventually all the jigs will be made by CNC in metal but first I must do all the math manually to figure out where to drill those friggin' holes! The hand-drilled plastic prototype jigs work but the required 0.05mm precision (under 0.002") for my peace of mind isn't there.

Most earrings are for pierced ears. Piercing requires a needle or lance to make it through the skin and tissue. Afterwards, nothing sharp should enter so earwires must be smooth. Infection, redness, cursing...nothing good results from low-quality goods.

Handmade is no savior unless the artist cares. Maybe they will polish and smooth the ends. Maybe, if you're lucky, they will inspect each one. Maybe, if you're super lucky, it will actually be the metal they claim it is. Maybe, if you super duper lucky, they will follow the laws and be honest. It will be very difficult finding such sellers!

Many manufacturers neglect these vital steps to save time and money since higher prices reduce sales. Mass production is about quantity and speed; quality is happenstance. Sharp edges, poor assembly, unsafe metals, the list goes on. What about truthfulness? The chainmaille and jewelry industries learned long ago that honesty significantly reduces sales so forget that!

The point is that jewelry shouldn't injure. It should also be high-quality without qualifiers and compromises. My earwire tips are rounded and sanded. Every one is inspected under a jeweler's loupe to ensure it meets quality control standards. They are tumbled to polish and burnish. Every detail matters for consistency and quality.

Regarding Chinese jewelry (all of it), do you honestly think you can get 100 sterling silver earwires for $3.89, or 100 handmade ones for $6.25?! The scrap value far exceeds the cost!! All "sterling silver" earwires from China - and anything silver for that matter - are fake. Most jewelry supply houses purchase their items from places like this so you do the math.

You know they're fake, too. As much as you try to pass off the responsibility to the manufacturer or someone else, you are 100% legally responsible. Simply, you are a fraudster who willingly and knowingly supports illegal activities. With any luck you will have your day in court.

Our irresponsible consumption habits mean we must make better choices, especially luxury items. My exceptional jewelry is 100% handmade, socially responsible, eco-friendly, made from recycled metals, free from blood/conflict minerals, follows all laws, and supports the local economy. All of these factors make my products unique with an untouchable pedigree. Even something as simple as an earwire deserves nothing less.

Posted by M: May 15, 2022

Please email any thoughts or comments regarding this post.

Previous Entry . . . . Next Entry

Comment Section

NOTE: Your comments will be included in this section as long as they aren't illegal. This section is censor-free so show me your intelligence or ignorance and everything in between!

2024