24kt Gold Jawbone Earrings

☆ with all of the right supplies, this a simple and beautiful, bone jewelry project☆

Supplies

Supplies

• Already cleaned jawbones, that naturally have holes in them. ( I found the bones in a forest where I live. The bone was already clear of flesh from wildlife eating it away. I cleaned the bones to sanitize and whiten, by letting them sit in a container fully submerged in hydrogen peroxide for a week at a time. Each week I would empty and refill with new hydrogen peroxide until the bones were white and no connecting tissue remained (gently brush the bones with a old toothbrush each week to help remove remaining connective tissue). I let them sit to dry out after the cleaning process was completed).

• 24kt gold leaf (enough to cover you vertebrate bone).
24kt gold leaf

• 2 part epoxy and a piece of cardboard for mixing epoxy on ( I used Gorilla glue 2 part epoxy).

• 2 Small Leaf Fold Over Bails 5x26mm

• 2 gold jewelry links ( to attach the bale and earring hooks together).

• 2 earring hooks

• 2 jewelry pliers ( just to open and close the jewelry links).

• gold leaf adhesive (speedball brand)

• gold leaf sealer (speedball brand)

• 2 flat small brushes (to apply the adhesive, and a soft brush for applying gold leaf and the sealer).

• 1 toothpick

Gather Your Supplies Listed Above. Time to Brush on the Adhesive.

Take a jawbones one at a time and brush the entire bone with a thin coat of the gold leaf adhesive. After brushing let the bones sit for about 30 minutes before applying the gold leaf in step 2.

Now It's Time to Apply the Gold Leaf.

Apply the gold leaf by laying a few small square sheets of gold leaf on to the bone and then with a soft brush, brush the gold leaf down on to the bone, without touching the brush to the adhesive directly. Continue this process until the entire bone is covered.

Now It's Time to Apply the Gold Leaf Sealer.

Apply the gold leaf sealer by using a soft brush coat one side of the bone then let sit to dry for 1 hour. Then apply the gold leaf sealer to the other side of the bone that hasn't been sealed yet and let sit to dry for at least 12 hours before continuing to step 4.

After using sealer, clean your brush with mild soap and water to remove sealer before it dries on the brush.

Now It Is Time to Bend and Attach the Fold Over Bales With Epoxy.

Bend or fold over the fold over bales, with your fingers to fit the area of the bones you intend on attaching them with the epoxy.

Mix the 2 part epoxy in a well ventilated area on a piece of cardboard. Then with a toothpick apply a small amount of epoxy to the underside leaf area of the bale. Then place the flower over bale with epoxy on to the jawbone on the area you intend the bale to go for use as earrings.

Now It's Time for the Jewelry Links and Earring Hooks.

Then open the jewelry link with the jewelry pliers. Hold the link steady with one of the pliers while you move your other hand and pliers from you to open the link at the separation point. Before closing the link add the earring hook and close the link with the jewelry pliers. Attach the open links one at a time on to the fold over bales that you attached to the jaw bones.
Hold a link with pliers in one hand on one side of the link that you intend on closing. The separated points of the link facing upward. Place the other pliers in your other on the other side of the separated point of the link. Hold the link steady with one of the pliers, while you move one of the pliers towards you to close the link at the separation point.

☆ Now your finished! Please show me pictures of your beautiful work.☆