Geometric Hoops

HOOPS DON’T HAVE TO BE CIRCLES. These geometric hoops are a great update to the classic round look. Using square wire will make your earrings look architectural and modern while round hammered wire will look delicate and organic. A gold-filled or sterling wire will give your hoops a luster that you won’t find with plated or imitation metals and will keep your earlobes from having any sensitive reaction. Just practice with a bit of inexpensive brass wire before you use your fancy gold.

MATERIALS

12 in/30.5 cm gold half-hard square wire, 20 gauge

TOOLS

Ruler

Clippers

Round-nose pliers

Chain-nose pliers

Fingernail file or sandpaper

INSTRUCTIONS

Shape the wire

1 With the clippers, cut two 6-in-/15-cm-long pieces of the square wire.

2 With the round-nose pliers, grip one end of one wire piece ¹/₁₆ in/4 mm from the end and fold the wire back onto itself, creating a U-shape. This will become the catch—it will hold the part of wire that goes through your ear piercing in place.

3 With the chain-nose pliers, grip the wire about 2 in/5 cm down from the U-shape you just made, and bend the wire to the right at a 45-degree angle.

4 Now create the point at the bottom center of the earring. With the chain-nose pliers, grip the wire ¹/₂ in/1 cm away from the previous bend, and bend the wire up and to the right to make a 90-degree angle.

5 With the chain-nose pliers, make a 45-degree angle in the wire ¹/₂ in/1 cm up from the point you just made. This bend will be symmetrical to the first bend.

Make the post

6 Now make the post of the earring, which will pierce the ear, by bending the wire to fit under the U-shaped catch. With the chain-nose pliers, grip the wire 2 in/5 cm up from the previous bend, bend the wire toward the U at a 90-degree angle, and tuck it under the U-shaped catch.

7 Adjust the angles of the earring with your fingers as needed. If there are any kinks or uneven sections of wire, straighten them out by gently clamping down on the wire with chain-nose pliers. This will also work-harden the metal, making the piece stronger.

8 Trim the post end of the wire so that there is at least a ¹/₈-in/3-mm section of wire beyond the U-shaped catch.

9 Use a fingernail file or sandpaper to taper and smooth this end of the wire so that the earring is comfortable in your earlobe.

TIP

For geometric hoops, make both simultaneously to ensure that they’re symmetrical. Draw out the shape you’d like to make and use it as a template. With chain-nose pliers, make each bend or curve in both earrings before moving on to the next bend. You can also gently grip both wires with the pliers to match up the angles as you work.