By Bethany Waldrop Keiper

I've mentioned before that chandeliers remind me of the pampered and plush and unattainable lifestyles. That's why it's so nice to be able to create your very own miniature chandeliers to dangle from your ears.

One of the great things about chandelier earrings is the versatility of the moods they can create -- from the picture of a happy bohemian look of long, dangling spirals, featuring bits of sparkling glass or plastic, to the sophisticated look of elegant charms or jewels suspended, swaying gently to and fro, like dewdrops on spider web.

These earrings are usually quite noticeable because they have a way of catching the eye and catching the light. They can be as colorful and bold or as sophisticated and classic as you would like. It is all up to your imagination.

As you look at some of the designs I thought of for these golden earrings, you'll notice I'm leaving off the earring wire in these pictures, because I'm sure you've all seen those wires before and know exactly where they should go in these designs.

In what other chandelier could you find soft, creamy, perfection? This gold chandelier top is like a delicate little mansard roof protecting the delicate beads below. Golden bicones adorn the creamy luster of the semi-translucent pearl luster disk dangles. The twin dangles border the golden-brown swirled heart made of thick glass with an air bubble trapped inside. Barely-tan luster rounds, a golden bicone, and a golden wire swirl complete this elongated center dangle.

In contrast, this same top, which could also be used as a base or clasp for a three-strand bracelet, also reminds me of a very fancy harvested shock of wheat, tied in the center with bands of gold. This makes it the perfect place to find some of Autumn's beautiful jewel tones. Each dangle begins with a small brown glass bead, then a thick golden bead covered with golden swirls, then an 8mm facetted firepolished bead, and then an ending of a little golden wire swirl to keep everything prettily in place. The 8mm beads are jewel tones you choose, but deep purple, cranberry, and topaz are a lovely combination, and seem to glow deeply from within.

Unusual lengths, finishes, and shapes can bring entirely new dimensions to your chandelier earrings.

This long center teardrop bead is the wild child offspring of a wedding cake bead in the winter -- it is called "roses in the snow" and features both the soft pink rose details and the swirls of goldstone. Its mixture of details deserves the spotlight, so what better place to do just that than as the focal point of this golden chandelier earring? Olive bicones match golden bicones in the secondary dangles; tiny pearls match the snowdrops in the focal bead. The theme for tiny golden beads is seen in the earrings golden curves. For the final detail, a tiny golden bead and a tiny pearl dangle from the tiny loop directly under the spot made for attaching the earwire.

Chandelier earring parts come in a wide array of styles, and some are already beautifully decorated. Some will come set with stones, or pearls, such as the one we see here. These pretty pearls dress up these golden earrings, and bring a warm luster to the gold. These brown and tan briolettes keep the warm trend growing with their toasty-warm colors and their fall-leaf-like movement. Tiny diamond-shaped facets on each teardrop catch every hint of light to bring forth a shine