01.13.20 Bad habits...

New year's posts generally focus on resolutions for change or improvement. Not for me, at least not this year.

If you are a regular - or even occasional - reader of this blog, it will come as no surprise to you that I have a bad earring habit...just go to the search bar in the upper right hand corner of the blog and type in

I probably have more posts about earrings than any other single topic, and I know I have more pairs than I do any other variety of jewelry...but does that stop me from acquiring more...

NOPE.

The most recent earring spree started late last summer, when I rediscovered a pair of turquoise earrings that I have had since high school, because they are a great match to the pendant I made my with my first foray into gold.


In the box with the turquoise drops, I found some other old jewelry (including the moonstone earrings I repaired) that I decided I'd put in my Etsy shop...so off I went to do some comparative pricing.

You'll recall that after making the moonstone earrings wearable again, I decided I was done setting small stones. Furthermore if I wanted more (because I don't need more) earrings, I would buy them.

But...I digress...

I went trolling on Etsy and eBay for prices on pieces similar to the ones I wanted to list in the Vintage section of my shop.  I found plenty of things for comparison...

I also discovered lots of inexpensive vintage silver earrings for sale that didn't need repair - just some cleaning up or new earwires (either replacing old screwbacks or the cheap ones that people had put on them to resell)...and things got a little out of control.

I found about a dozen pair that were $10-20, so I bought them all...cleaned them up, put them on new earwires (some on leverbacks, depending on the style). I even bought a few as gifts because they were such good matches to pendants I'd made.

I probably ought to stop...but that's not likely to happen, because it's become a form of entertainment for me...can I find some unloved pair of earrings to bring back to life for myself...or someone else.

So, keep an eye on my Instagram, where (most days) I post #todayearrings, and you are likely see all the old, tarnished baubles I'm giving new life for myself...or in my Etsy shop.

So, maybe that's my new year's resolution after all - to give old silver some love, new life and keep it from the scrap heap.

Happy new year!

Until next time.