Australiana - Echidna Hoop Earrings.
These earrings are handmade in my studio and feature surgical grade stainless steel 25mm hoops which are super strong.
Made from recycled Copper, these Echidna Earrings are intricately handmade.
Each design starts out from a sketched drawing. Firstly I texture a sheet of copper using a centre punch and hammer. The image is then transferred to the metal using a template I've traced around and then precisely hand cut using my hand saw and a super fine saw blade. Each piece is then flattened using a leather hammer to remove any warping in the metal.
Each edge is then filed smooth, a hole drilled and countersunk to remove any burs. My makers mark is hand stamped on the back of each piece. All surfaces are then sanded to remove any scratches and polished using various grades to reveal a shiny finish. The surgical grade stainless steel hoops are then added and each pair is given a final hand polishing before they are ready for their new owners.
If the pieces are to be oxided (have a blackened finish), before adding the hoops, I would give each piece a clean using soapy waters, submerge them in hot water and then into a hot patina solution and watch for the chemical blackening reaction to take effect. The pieces are then rinsed in a bicarbonate soda/water solution and then cold water ensuring the patina solution has been neutralised and removed from the metal. Each piece is them hand sanded with a fine emery paper to remove any excess patina on the surface. Finally the hoops are added and they are finished.
These earrings measure approximately 45mm tall and 40mm wide and are very light weight.
They are available in a natural finish OR with a blackened oxide / patina finish.
The Oxide / Patina is a surface treatment that will wear away over time, revealing the rose gold natural copper appearance. This is exacerbated if cleaned to much. Should you wish to have them re-oxided after the patina has worn away, just contact me and I can arrange this service.
If you have the natural finish and would like to maintain the rose gold look, you will need to clean them regularly using BrassĀ (seeĀ cleaningĀ tips for more information).
All Meekz jewellery comes with complimentary gift wrapping.