I like Woon Hung’s jewelry. They are handmade, using mostly natural materials sourced from various places in Asia, such as Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines. Her pieces are unique, and go quite easily with most of my work clothes.
When I heard that she was conducting classes at Soon Lee over a weekend, I signed up for it. Not that I have any serious interest in making jewelry, but I was quite happy to spend a couple of hours learning something new, and having fun while doing so. Also, I get to bring home the two pairs of earrings that I make during class!
The first thing that she taught us was wire work. Using two pairs of pliers, we practised measuring, snipping, twisting and turning the stainless steel wire into small, symmetrical hoops that connect the beads. It was very challenging trying to shape the wire to give you tiny hoops that were of the same size and shape – I get oval hoops instead of perfectly round-shaped ones. Making jewelry is not so easy.
After an hour of practice, we were ready to make our first pair of earrings. A simple pair of one-strand dangling earrings. Woon Hung provided us with quite a wide selection of beads, in various colors, sizes, shapes and materials. It took me ages before I could decide on the teal-and-coral combination shown above.
For the earrings, we used gold-plated wires which were not as strong as the stainless steel ones, so more care was required not to “over-twist’ the wires, as this will cause them to break easily. I was quite proud of how my hoops turned out. Got some help from Woon Hung along the way.
The second piece was a more complicated chandelier-style earrings. I decided on green and light purple colored beads. By then, I was quite comfortable with shaping the hoops, and Iless obsessed with getting perfectly round-shaped circles. So I finished making this pair in a shorter time than the first pair. I was really pleased with the results – not too shoddy for a first attempt. Quite pretty, I must say. Have I worn these earrings? Nope, my mom wanted both pairs, so I gave them to her. I had fun and that is what’s most important!
I follow Woon Hung on Instagram, where she shares photos of new designs, her home and travels. Besides her jewelry, we both share a love for Korea, and can yak non-stop about that country. 🙂
