This cheerful yellow drusy has an asymmetrical geometric shape, and a delightful color. It’s the perfect focal for a thoroughly modern and strikingly simple design. I used techniques and wire from the Advanced Wire Wrap Kit created by Beadalon’s Educaton Director and Product Manager Wyatt White. His meticulous instructions and step by step photos in the kit booklet made this easy to master, even when wrapping an irregular shape. The chain features two simple techniques that are staples in my jewelry making repertoire and will quickly become staples in yours if they aren’t already. Don’t be afraid to dive into the advanced kit, you’ll be surprised how easy these techniques are to master.
Find everything you need to make this dreamy design on JTV.com in the Jewelry Making/Jewel School section.
- Margot
Sweet Dream Necklaces and Earrings
Materials
JLW4226 28x20-30x17mm Yellow Drusy Focal bead
JLW2978 10x8mm 8 aquamarine glass faceted oval beads
JLW2458H 16 4x6mm faceted turquoise glass rondelle beads
JLW4311 8 12mm hematine coin beads
JSWR86B 20 gauge round tinned Artistic Wire
JSKIT005 20 gauge square silver plated German Style Wire (from Advanced Wire Wrap Kit)
JSKIT005 21 gauge half round silver plated German Style Wire (from Advanced Wire Wrap Kit)
Tools
PLIER27 Round nose pliers
PLIER22 Chain nose pliers
PLIER25 Flush cutters
Directions
1. Using the technique in Advanced Wire Wrap Kit, wrap your drusy stone using three square wires bound with half round wire as needed to secure wire around stone. I created four five wrap bindings on my stone. Use pliers to open the wire segments between bindings, these will secure the stone.
2. Bind all four wires at the top of your stone. Use round nose pliers to loop and coil four of your wires to the front of your stone.
3. Bind the remaining two wires approximately ½” from the first bail binding.
4. Open the two wires to create a bail, using your chain nose pliers.
5. Create the core necklace by attaching double coiled and rosary looped beads. The order is as follows: double looped blue glass, double coiled hematite, double looped blue glass, double coiled aqua glass oval, double looped blue glass…repeat this pattern until you reach the 4th double coiled aqua glass oval. When you reach the center of the design, make sure to thread your pendant bail between the two aqua glass ovals.
6. To make a rosary style loop, thread a 1” wire into a bead, bend wire flush to top of bead at a 90 degree angle. Use flush cutters to cut to approximately ¼”. Grasp end of wire and round into a loop. Repeat on opposite side of bead.
7. To make a double coiled loop, thread a 1/5” wire into a bead. Grasp wire approximately ½” down from top with round nose pliers. Bend wire flush to top of pliers at a 90 degree angle. Move pliers up ½ turn. Bend wire over pliers into a loop until wire can’t move further, adjust pliers another ½ turn and finish loop. Grasp wire tail with chain nose pliers and coil down from bottom of loop to top of your bead tightly. Cut off wire tail and tuck excess into bottom of coil using chain nose pliers.
8. Continue in the pattern as before, this is a mirror of the first side.
9. Attach a jump ring to one end of your chain and a clasp to the other. I used 20 gauge wire to make my own hook, you can find a video tutorial for this on JTV.com.
10. You can create matching earrings using a hematite coin on a coiled head pin dangling from a double looped blue glass rondelle, make two of these and attach ear wires to the top of each blue glass rondelle.
