Stiletto Jewelry PointersPart 1 of 2
Stiletto earrings are not new. The long, skinny and flattering style provides a lot of eye-catching movement and help create the illusion of a long, graceful neck. However, as with many things, it often takes a celebrity trendsetter and hot new designer to make a particular style really popular. So this year may well be the year of stiletto jewelry.
Jason Wu, the Taiwanese born, New York based designer wowed many with the one shoulder dress he created for Michelle Obama to wear at the Inaugration ball (picture by dbking). As you can see, the First Lady accessorized with long stiletto earrings. The diamond drop earrings (and bracelet) were from LA's Loree Rodkin and matched the sparkly gown.
Needless to say, the meteoric rise of Jason Wu in the fashion world has made him a designer to watch. Last month, this young designer unveiled his Fall 2009 collection. His designs are simple, fresh and definitely wearable. His collection also featured his take on stiletto jewelry. He used varying lengths of silver and gold metal strips embellished with crystals or granulations to match his fashion designs. The collar style necklaces made for bold accessories. The stiletto earrings were all sets of three long metallic strips.
Inspired? Stiletto earrings are easy to make. You could extend the length of dangle earrings with several wire wrapped links like Michele Obama's earrings above. At their simplest, stiletto earrings are merely long straight wires or chains with accent beads at the end. Use 20G wire like my jeweler's brass earrings with hand forged ear wires (below left). Any thinner and the wire could easily bend. If you only have thinner wire available, try hammering them to work harden them which also gives them a slightly different look as my blue crystal earrings below. If you're ambitious, put several dangles on a neckwire for your own designer look!
Need some help? The design shown on the left is by Catherine Hodge and is available as a tutorial from Beading Daily (free). The coiled wire design not only makes for good coiling practice but that long wire is thus stronger and less bendable.Beader Designs #: 478-479
For more tutorials check out my Jewelry Making Tips
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Nice! I didn't know there's a name for earrings like that. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteHaving trouble leaving a comment tonight.
ReplyDeleteI really like this style but I wear too many Turtlenecks and am always catching them.
I made some earrings like that recently, of course they still sit unphotographed and .. anyway - I didn't know earrings like that had a name! That will help when I actually post them!
ReplyDeleteOh (whispering) I thought Michelle Obama's dress on inauguration night was ugly as all get out and not flattering on her at all. Sh-h-h-h. I said it quietly.
I didn't know there was a name for them, either... and now I love the style even more! My only trouble is that those long earrings get caught in my hair and are more difficult to untangle.
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool! I've been experimenting with long skinny earrings using beads, chain, and metal...but I never knew that what I was doing was creating them in the "Stiletto Style" That's why I love reading your blog so much, your posts are always teach me something new!
ReplyDeleteI love the simplicity of stilleto earrings. Funny you posted on this topic, I just made a pair over the weekend and have yet to post them. Great creative minds think alike!
ReplyDeleteI love the look of those earrings, too, and also didn't know that there was a name for them. But when I wear such long earrings they always get caught by the fabric of my shirt or stand up my shoulder and the wire bends. So no stiletto earrings for me!
ReplyDeleteA rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. I love the look of these long slender dangles that I have just now learned are "Stiletto earrings" (like the thin high heeled shoe...or a small bladed dagger. Am always learning something on The Beading Gem's Journal. :)
ReplyDeleteI do think the super long stiletto probably fares better on someone with a longer neck, however the idea can be incorporated in shorter versions for us gals that don't have an Audrey Hepburn swan neck.