1. I save the short sections of 22-gauge sterling silver wire left over from other projects and cut them into 1-, 2-, or 3-
inch lengths. Then, I ball up one end of each wire and quench, pickle, and tumble them. Keeping bundles of these prepped wire sections on hand makes it easy to create posts or ear wires as needed.

2. To form the earring posts, I flatten the balled end of a wire using a hammer and a draw plate mounted in my vise.

3. If the balled end is too small and slips through the smallest opening of the draw plate, I use a tiny rivet block instead. Holding the unballed end while hammering prevents the wire from bouncing.

4. The goal is to create a flat head on the wire that matches the approximate diameter of the hoop earring’s gauge—in this case, 16-gauge.

5. The easiest and safest way to solder the earring post to the hoop is to first sweat a small chip of hard solder onto the flat head. To do this, I insert the post into a hole of a honeycomb ceramic solder block.

6. Next, I lower the fluxed and finished hoop onto the post and reheat the solder to join the pieces. A third hand holds the hoop in position, while the honeycomb block keeps the post straight and shielded from excessive heat. I focus the flame on the heavier hoop, watching for the solder to flash as it liquefies, and remove the flame immediately once the join is formed.

7. For larger-diameter hoops, a ceramic block with insertable pegs helps ensure the earring post is correctly aligned and provides support during soldering. Positioning larger hoops facing up offers better balance during this process.

To finish, snip and sand the post to the desired length and do a short tumbler run to work-harden and polish them.