IRISDUO DROP EARRINGS

(©2026 Deborah Roberti)

The IrisDuo Drop Earrings are a variation of my Solitaire Earrings, which use GemDuo beads. IrisDuo beads are heavier and thicker, though, so they are perfect for adding a drop bead.

IrisDuo beads are produced by Potomac Beads and you can find the entire color selection at PotomacBeads.com, cick HERE!

Beads used in the photo above listed at the bottom of the pattern page.

MATERIALS
• 4 feet of 6 lb. FireLine
• About 75 size 11/0 Miyuki (rocaille) seed beads
• 16 size 3mm beads (3mm round beads or 3mm fire-polished beads work best)
• 8 IrisDuo beads
• Two 3-4mm closed (soldered) jump rings
• Two center-drilled drop beads of your choice in any type or size bead
• A pair of earring findings

Step 1: Thread your needle with about 2 feet of FireLine.

Leaving about a 6-inch tail that you can weave in and cut at any time, string a seed bead, a 3mm bead, two seed beads, a 3mm bead and a seed bead.

Go across through the bottom hole of an IrisDuo bead.

Grab your tail thread and tie the beads together in a tight double knot:

Step 2: Go back around through the beads that you strung in the last step (highlighted in RED), following the same thread path:

Step 3: Go around and across through the top hole of the IrisDuo bead that you just exited (highlighted in RED):

NOTE: IrisDuo beads have a rounded front side and a flat back side. Make sure that the front side is facing you when you add each IrisDuo bead.

Step 4: Go through the bottom hole of a second IrisDuo bead. String a seed bead, a 3mm bead and a seed bead.

Go around through the top hole of the IrisDuo bead that you just added:

Step 5: Go through the bottom hole of a third IrisDuo bead and the top hole of a fourth IrisDuo bead:

Step 6: String a seed bead, a 3mm bead and a seed bead.

Go back across through bottom hole of the fourth IrisDuo bead, the top hole of the first IrisDuo bead and the bottom hole of the second IrisDuo bead (highlighted in RED):

Step 7: Go back up through the seed bead, the 3mm bead and the seed bead highlighted in RED:

Step 8: String four seed beads.

Go across through the top hole of the third IrisDuo bead (highlighted in RED):

Step 9: String four seed beads.

Go down through the seed bead, the 3mm bead and the seed bead highlighted in RED:

Step 10: String three seed beads.

Go around through the seed bead, the 3mm bead, the two seed beads, the 3mm bead and the seed bead highlighted in RED:

Step 11: String three seed beads.

Go up through the seed bead, the 3mm bead and the five seed beads highlighted in RED:

Step 12: String a seed bead, a 3mm bead and two seed beads.

Go around through your jump ring and back down through the last seed bead that you just strung:

Step 13: String a seed bead, a 3mm bead and a seed bead. Go down through the beads highlighted in RED:

Step 14: To add your drop bead, string a seed bead, a drop bead and three seed beads:

Step 15: Go around and back up through the drop bead and seed beads above (highlighted in RED) so that the three bottom seed beads that you just added form a seed bead picot below the drop bead as you pull tight. You may have to position the seed beads into place with your fingers to form the picot:

Step 16: Go back around through the outer beads highlighted in RED and the jump ring:

Weave back into your earring, knot and cut your FireLine. Attach your earring finding to the jump ring.

Beads used in the photo below

Metallic Emerald version:
• About 75 size 11/0 Miyuki (rocaille) seed beads: Miyuki #4473 Duracoat Opaque Dyed Rocailles - Light Khaki Green
• 16 size 3mm fire-polished beads: Milky Peridot fire-polished beads
• 8 IrisDuo beads: Metalic Emerald
• Two center-drilled drop beads: Preciosa Ornelia Global Faceted 8x11 Faceted beads (discontinued but ShipwreckBeads.com does have some others that are close, click HERE, or search on "8x11mm")

Crystal Etched Sunset version:
• About 75 size 11/0 Miyuki (rocaille) seed beads: Miyuki #596 Opaque Salmon Luster
• 16 size 3mm round beads: Cream pearls
• 8 IrisDuo beads: Crystal Etched Sunset
• Two center-drilled drop beads: Potomac Pearls Drop Beads - Cream 6x9mm