You have beautiful stones and gemstones. Now what?

Most of us have purchased beautiful polished gemstones, strings of beautiful polished rocks and minerals,
and even saved them from vintage jewelry when the strings have broken.

But, how should you make something beautiful that will last?

 

You can make simple, elegant jewelry from polished stones and gemstones.

I made this set with a variety of lapis lazuli gemstone beads that I bought from Fire Mountain Gems,
at https://www.firemountaingems.com/shop/gemstone
Every component matches, and I have beautiful jewelry for a fraction of the hundreds I would have spent in a jewelry store.
Better yet, it is all custom made to my size, and I know the strong clasps will last for years.

Where do I start?

1.Start with a lovely assortment of shapes and sizes, and line them up in a bead tray or on a towel
so they won’t roll around.

2. Measure your wrist or neck, so you know it will fit properly. Bead trays are handy, as they have measured-out areas
that both hold your material and show you how long it is.

3. Look at your clasp. Magnetic clasps fasten to jump rings and do not add much length, whereas some of the 2-part clasps can add up to an inch to your bracelet or necklace. Account for the space your closure will take, and measure how long you want to make your finished piece.

4.Laying out the beads or gems you have collected, add metal bead caps, seed beads, and spacer beads between the larger focal pieces. Save space for a crimp or crimp cover as you measure one last time to see if you need to add or remove before you finish your jewelry.

5. Measuring your lay-out can be tough, so cut a piece of thread or wire that you are using at least 10 inches longer than you need it to be. Thread your idea on the wire, near the table top, so nothing goes bouncing across the floor. Go through the first bead twice as a stop-bead, or add the first half of your clasp before you begin, so nothing falls off the end. Measure your piece before you add the other clasp!

Handy tip: Take photos of your ideas as you go!

I like to take photos of various arrangements before I settle on a final design. If something gets moved, I can easily rearrange until I am happy with it. Each change will affect the length, so measure for bracelets before adding the other half of the clasp.

My lapis lazuli sample shows a seed bead between each stone. This prevents  chipping or cracking, and separates the beads visually. Also notice that I added a charm to the clasp’s jump ring. This is for grabbing with my finger while I fasten the clasp, so I can manage one-handed. My friend shared that awesome tip with me, so I am passing it along to you!

Refer to wonderful tutorials on YouTube or online shops with instructions on stringing the components with your crimps,clasps, and particular tools. You, too, can design simple but elegant beaded jewelry for yourself and for friends!