Music Note Earrings

I was asked to create a custom pair of music note earrings for a special anniversary. When I met with my client, I asked him to tell me a little about what he was envisioning for the gift he wanted to make for his girlfriend. He told me he wanted a pair of earrings that would describe her. She loves music, swing dancing, and things that are different. He envisioned a pair of music note earrings that also incorporated her love of dancing.  

Initial sketch of the design for the music note earrings.

We decided on a design where the earrings aren’t the same but obviously are a set. At first, we imagined a pair of dance shoe shaped earrings, but we decided on little swing dancers and music notes being etched into the earrings. The pieces that are going to be etched have a special coating applied to them to protect the area that shouldn’t be etched. The design that we want is left unprotected so that only the exposed metal will etch. The client chose the music notes and the dancers that were etched into the pieces. Here I’m soldering together the little heart detail. Sometimes as I’m working  I’ll discover a design element that I like more than the original so I’ll adjust the design slightly. I love how this image shows each component of the music note earrings right before the final pieces are put together. This photo really shows the 3-D nature of the earring and how the concept stayed the same with a few adjustments to enhance the design.

Finished music note earrings. I love how the etchings of the dancers and the music notes enhance the earrings.

These earrings are definitely different from my usual mitsuro pieces that I’m regularly asked to create. It was fun to do a fully fabricated piece from metal again. I hadn’t done any etching since I took an intaglio printmaking class back in college! The best part of the whole thing was delivering the earrings to the client! He was so excited, I really wish I had gotten his reaction on film. It was the best! He had a huge smile, said WOW, and there was even a bit of jumping for joy! Later he told me that his girlfriend LOVES the earrings and had a similar reaction when she first saw them. These feelings and moments are why I love making jewelry and art for people. Helping to create memories and smiles for others is the best feeling and worth every moment I spend making something special.