Looking for a new necklace to wear to a holiday celebration this season? This lovely piece just might be your answer. It's dramatic, but not overpowering, pretty with just a bit of sparkle, and will look great worn with a fancy party dress or jeans and a t-shirt. With so many lovely colors available in each strand of these Imperial Jasper teardrops, you can make a few necklaces, all with slightly different color palettes, with only one strand of beads.Materials needed:
66" of Red Jasper .019 Diameter Soft Flex Beading Wire
1 Sterling Silver 12mm Squaredelle Toggle Clasp with Olivine Crystals
6 Silver 4mm Squaredelle Beads with Olivine Crystals
10 Sterling Silver 2mm Crimp Tubes
10 Sterling Silver 3mm Crimp Covers
12 Picture Jasper 6mm Faceted Rounds
2 Imperial Jasper 15x30mm Top-Drilled Teardrops
1 Imperial Jasper 20x40mm Top-Drilled Teardrop
Tools needed:
Cutters
Crimping Pliers
Bead Stoppers
Finished size: 21 1/2"
Step 1: Cut three 22" pieces of wire. Use 1 wire to string 1 crimp tube, 1 Picture Jasper round, 1 Squaredelle bead, 1 Picture Jasper round, the 20x40mm Imperial Jasper teardrop, 1 Picture Jasper round, 1 Squaredelle bead, 1 Picture Jasper round, and 1 crimp tube. Attach 1 Bead Stopper to both ends of the wire.
Step 2: Repeat Step 1 twice using the 15x30mm Picture Jasper teardrops.
Step 3: Carefully remove 1 Bead Stopper from one end of every wire. Arrange all three wires so that they're the same length and attach 1 Bead Stopper to all three wires. Repeat for the other ends of the wires.
Step 4: Adjust the beads on the wire with the 20x40mm teardrop so that they're in the center of the wire. Crimp both crimp tubes. Cover each crimp tube with a crimp cover. Adjust the beads on the other two wires so that the beads on one wire are to the right of the previous wire, with the left crimp tube hitting at about the center of the 20x40mm teardrop, and the beads on the other wire are to the left of the previous wire, with the right crimp tube hitting at about the center of the 20x40 teardrop. Crimp and cover all crimp tubes.
Step 5: Carefully attach 1 Bead Stopper to all three wires about 3" from the closest crimp tube/cover. Loosely braid the three wires together for about 5 1/2 to 6", making sure to leave the wire tails long enough to be able to crimp to the clasp later on. Use all three wires to string 1 crimp tube and crimp. Remove the Bead Stopper.
Step 6: Cut two of the short wire ends. Cover the crimp tube with 1 crimp cover. Use the remaining wire to string 1 crimp tube and one half of the clasp. Pass back through the tube and crimp. Cover the crimp tube with 1 crimp cover.Step 7: Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for the other half of the necklace.
The necklace below was made with other Imperial Jasper teardrops from the same strand as the necklace above, with Garnet round beads, Squaredelle beads with Siam Ruby crystals, and Garnet .019 Diameter Soft Flex Beading Wire.
Enjoy!
Guest blogger Jamie Hogsett is the Education Coordinator for Soft Flex Company. Contact her at Jamie@SoftFlexCompany.com.