Finishing touches finally finished! I inserted size 15 beading needles through the neck of each earring to reinforce them. In low light they're dark yet they glimmer and shimmer when you move! The Swarovski crystals are jet AB2X. The double aurora borealis application turns the jet black into a peacock blue and the facets individually reflect a gold color as well. I was so lucky to find them. The pattern called for clear crystals but I didn't think clear would provide any wow factor. The beads for the body are galvanized dark green and I used purple iris for the wings. The wing pattern shows depending on how the light hits them. The posts are 24kt gold plate. It's vermeil - which is gold plate over sterling silver applied electrochemically. Gold filled is better quality but for gold plate these weren't cheap. I think gold plate should weather well since they're not rubbing against skin. Hope so anyway. Gold filled, also known as gold rolled (which makes more sense), is more durable. Gold plate is a very thin coating of gold although 24K is a teensy bit heavier than 10 or 12K. Gold filled is not really gold filled, but gold over the outside of some other metal.
Honestly, they are prettier in real life! They individual beads in the body absolutely glitter in the light.
