Photo Tutorial Scale Maille Fan Earrings

Author's Note
Our projects were very popular during the lifetime of our business and we wanted to ensure they continued to provide inspiration for chain maillers whatever their experience. It's a pleasure to see they will live on with Chainmaillers.com
-Sarah Austin

Scale Maille Fan Earrings​

These quick-to-make scale maille earrings use our tiny scales and are the perfect length for wear during any time of the day - the drop from the top of the earwire is 3.5cm.

Materials​

For one pair of earrings, you will need:

• 6 red tiny scales, 7.6x12mm
• 6 gold tiny scales, 7.6x12mm
• 24 tiny gold anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3mm, WD 0.81mm - A
• 10 small gold anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 3.6mm, WD 0.81mm - B
• 2 large brown anodised aluminium saw cut jump rings, ID 10.2mm, WD 1.6mm - C
• bronze anodised niobium earwires

Tools:

• two pairs of smooth jawed chain nose, flat nose, or bent nose pliers

Instructions​

1. Link two tiny gold rings A to three red and three gold scales.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Open five small gold rings B.Study the picture below carefully as you need to weave a small gold ring B through each of the four tiny rings A exactly as shown in the picture. This is the same as European 4-1 but with the addition of scales.
   
   Weave one small ring B upwards through the left hand tiny ring attached to the gold scale and then downwards through the right hand tiny ring attached to the gold scale. Continue weaving the same small ring B downwards through the right hand tiny ring attached to a red scale and then upwards through the left hand tiny ring attached to the red scale. Close the jump ring.
   
   Lay out the joined scales and check that they match the picture below.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Weave one small gold ring B upwards through the left hand tiny ring attached to the red scale you have just joined but underneath the small ring B previously added. Continue weaving this ring downwards through the right hand tiny ring attached to the red scale, keeping underneath the small ring B.
   
   
   
   
   
4. You will now attach the next scale by continuing to weave the small ring B downwards through the right hand tiny ring attached to a gold scale and then upwards through the left hand tiny ring attached to the gold scale. Close the small ring B.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Repeat steps 3-4 to join three more scales, alternating the scale colours. You will have a scale strip of six scales (left hand picture).
   
   Open one large brown ring. As you weave through the tiny rings to create the fan look, you will find that it will become fairly stiff and you may have to gently wiggle the brown ring through. A certain amount of stiffness is needed to hold the scale fan in place.
   
   Starting at the bottom of the linked scales, weave the brown ring through the outer right hand tiny rings. When you have linked six tiny rings, flip over the last tiny ring on the left hand side of the scale strip. Weave the brown ring through this seventh tiny ring (right hand picture).
   
   
   
   
   
6. Thread your earwire onto the brown ring. Check that you have threaded the earwire the right way round before closing the brown ring.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Repeat steps 1-6 to make a second earring.

Variations​

• Make a third fanned component and hang on a thin chain for a matching pendant.
• Use silver and gold, or silver/gold and black, or all three colours for a classic combination to go with any outfit.
• Purple and royal blue look stunning or add green for peacock colours.

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©2021 Sarah Austin. All rights reserved.