Daily Blogs : Pearls, metalsmithing

Make This Easy Crystal Chakra Pendant

Jennifer VanBenschoten — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:00:00 GMT

As I go further into my daily practice of yoga and meditation, I'm learning more about the ancient beliefs surrounding the physical and spiritual aspects of the poses. I'm particularly interested in the chakras, or energy centers, that are believed to exist in certain key areas of the body. There are colors associated with each of the seven chakras, or energy centers, and they can be used to balance our mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. I wanted to find a way to express my own connection with the chakras, so I decided to make a necklace using crystal beads to symbolize each of the seven energy centers.

At first, I had envisioned a very complex pendant, but as I sat with my crystal beads and thought about what I wanted my chakra pendant to look like, I realized that sometimes, a simple design is the best. You can make your own chakra pendant using crystal beads in just a few minutes, too!

Materials:

7 crystal beads, Swarovski 5052 6mm mini round bead in the following colors: Crystal red magma, crystal golden shadow, sunflower, fern green, aquamarine, amethyst, crystal AB
14 sterling silver or silver-filled seamless beads, 2.5mm
1 sterling silver head pin, 20 gauge, 1 1/2"
6 sterling silver head pins, 20 gauge, 2"
18" of sterling silver chain (your choice of style)
Clasp of your choice

Tools:

Flush cutter
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers OR
Combination pliers

Step-by-step Instructions:

On the head pin, string 1 sterling silver bead, the first crystal bead (go in the order that they are listed in the materials list), and 1 sterling silver bead. Make a wrapped loop at the top.
On each of the first 5 eye pins, string 1 sterling silver bead, a 6mm crystal bead, and 1 sterling silver bead. Make a simple loop at the top, joining the links together as you go.
For the last crystal bead, string 1 sterling silver bead, the crystal bead, and 1 sterling silver bead. Make a wrapped loop at the top of the eye pin large enough for your chain to pass through.
Slide the pendant onto the chain and attach the clasp.

The finished crystal chakra pendant is approximately 4 1/2" long, so expect it to dangle gracefully from the chain. You can also make it longer for a more dramatic look! Wear it when you need a little boost in your mood -- the rainbow of colors is guaranteed to make you smile.

Jewelry made with crystal beads and pearls never really goes out of style. Whether you're looking for simple or sublime (or both), you need to check out Create Jewelry: Pearls. With 22 pearl jewelry projects ranging from classic to modern, and suitable for pretty much any occasion, you just can't go wrong with pearls. Now is the time to get your copy of Create Jewelry: Pearls and save 70% off the original cover price during the Interweave Overstock Book Sale.

If you've ever wanted to complete your collection of this timeless series of jewelry-making books, take advantage of the special savings through February 14, 2013 at 12:00 midnight CST.

Are you ready for a little giveaway to brighten up your winter?

We have 19 copies of Create Jewelry: Crystals to give away, along with 19 prize packs of brand-new crystal beads from our friends at Fusion Beads! Just leave a comment on this blog between now and 12 midnight, CST on February 27, 2013. We'll randomly choose 19 winners to receive a copy of Create Jewelry: Crystals along with this fabulous crystal bead prize pack. (Please note: due to customs regulations, giveaway is only open to those residing in the United States at this time.)

The crystal bead prize pack from Fusion Beads includes a great selection of Swarovski Elements crystals from two of their most recent launches. From the Swarovski Innovations Fall/Winter 2013 launch, there are an assortment crystal beads in the new crystal color Light Turquoise, and the new effect, Crystal Blue Shade.

Also included is a sampling of Swarovski's new Mini Bead line -- two sizes of the round bead and two sizes of the oval bead. These two bead shapes are a great basic bead for many designs.

From the newest Swarovski Innovations launch for Spring/Summer 2014 comes the new crystal color, Light Silk, and the new effect, Crystal Rose Gold 2x, as well as the new crystal pearl color, Rose Gold. These three colors and effects were just announced last week, and are so new that the winners of this giveaway will be some of the first to have them! Fusion Beads has also included a new pendant shape from Swarovski Elements, the 6028 Oval Pendant.

As a special offer for Beading Daily readers, you can take 20% off your entire purchase of $50 or more at Fusion Beads by using the code SPARKLE20! (Offer expires March 4, 2013.)

Good luck, and bead happy!

Jennifer

How to Design Asymmetrical Earrings

Jean Campbell — Wed, 25 May 2011 08:40:00 GMT

Asymmetrical Earrings by Bob Ebendorf

I was digging through one of my earring boxes the other day, looking for the perfect set of pearl earrings to wear with a fancy outfit. I ran into a lovely pair I received as a gift from my friend Bob Ebendorf. He made them about eighteen years ago, and they still look so contemporary, so fresh. Bob is a master jeweler, so that's the main reason they look so great, but what struck me is how the asymmetry added to the beauty of the design.

The discovery made me think about what it is exactly that makes asymmetrical earrings visually work. I spread out the dozens of pairs of earrings in that box and started matching different pairs to each other. My little exercise helped me discover that there are quite a few rules of thumb to follow when designing asymmetrical earring pairs.

These earrings are asymmetrical "sisters."

Bead Type in Common

If you've got a striking bead type in each earring, chances are you can match them up. This mismatched pair works especially well because the 6mm potato pearls "talk" to each other. The added bonus is that they each employ the same type of tiny silver chain, making them look like sisters. They are slightly different in profile (like many sisters); one is teardrop-shaped, the other is a line and is carrying a little crystal star. These slight differences add to the excitement of the relationship.

This asymmetrical pair works because they are made with the same stuff.

Materials

Each of these earrings actually come from pairs I wear just about every day . . . I never thought of wearing them together before! I like this pairing because the material and treatment (silver clay with a liver of sulfur patina) is exactly the same, but the lengths are slightly different, adding visual interest. The earring on the left is very linear and the one on the right is very, well, not linear, so the dichotomy between the two make for another nice visual conversation.

Color helps make asymmetrical earrings sing.

Color

I would have never, in a thousand years, thought to wear these two earrings together until I started this little exercise. But when I put them together, I thought, Wow! It's the crystal and metal color that makes these two a perfect pair. Again, we've got the DNA to make these two look like sisters (crystals, silver, dangles, etc.), but they're different enough to make a nice visual dance.

It's important to balance asymmetrical earrings.

Balance

When I sat these two together, I didn't think they'd work until I put them on; they look great as a pair! These earrings are the same color and bead type, but what makes them work together is that the visual weight of the big fire-polished bead in the left earring balances with the cascading smaller fire-polished beads on the right.

Have you designed a pair of asymmetrical earrings lately? If not, try my little exercise, perhaps with some of the dozens of earring designs you'll find in every issue of Stringing magazine. With the help of Stringing's great projects and some of these rules for design, you might be surprised at how easy it is to design asymmetrically.

Happy beading-

How to Clean and Polish Chain Jewelry!

Brenton — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:00:00 GMT

7 Great Tips to Maintain your Chain!

When I wrote Chain Style: 50 Contemporary Jewelry Designs, I couldn't wait to share the 50 fabulous necklace and bracelet designs. So many designs using all kinds of chain! Later on, as my favorite brass chain began to tarnish, I thought how great it would be to have a follow-up blog about how to clean your chain jewelry. So, here are a few tips I've learned about cleaning and caring for chain jewelry.

1. Daily Care
When you remove your jewelry, wipe off the chain with a lint-free polishing cloth that has no abrasives. If you have been wearing perfume, rinse the chain with water, pat it dry, then follow with the polishing cloth. This is great for day-to-day maintenance: cleaning off fingerprints, skin oils, scents, and surface dirt.

2. Storage
Yvonne Padilla of Rio Grande recommends that you place your jewelry in an air-tight, ziploc bag along with an anti-tarnish strip. These strips are fantastic–completely safe and non-toxic. They absorb moisture and neutralize tarnish-producing gases in the air. They will last up to 6 months or longer if placed in a sealed environment. They work for silver, brass, copper, nickel, bronze, tin, and gold. Copper is the villain when it comes to tarnishing, so any metal that contains copper will tarnish. Clean your chains thoroughly, then store them with anti-tarnish strips and they'll be ready to wear for months.

3. Weekly Maintenance
Use an ultrasonic cleaner and a cleaning solution that is PH-balanced and ammonia-free. This will eliminate surface dirt, oil, lotion, and perfume. If you are cleaning a rope chain or snake chain where dirt might get into the crevices, use a soft toothbrush to get into those hard to reach areas.

4. Let It Soak
Soak your chains in a PH-balanced, ammonia free jewelry solution for stubborn tarnish. If you have chain with stones, make sure that the cleaning solution you are using is gentle enough to use on the particular gemstones or pearls. Don't use the ultrasonic cleaner as the vibration may harm the stones.

Anti-tarnish strips, polishing pads, polishing cloths, and cleaning solution.		5. Tarnish Be Gone There are some wonderful polishing pads and cloths that are embedded with microabrasives that get rid of tarnish and dirt in a jiffy. Just rub the cloth over the piece and watch it polish to a clean, brilliant shine.

Top: Brass chain cleaned with vinegar and salt solution. Bottom: Tarnished chain.

6. Go Eco
To clean silver, try Jean Campbell’s At-Home Tarnish Busting Remedy. For stubborn spots, use plain toothpaste (no gels or whitening) and a soft toothbrush, then rinse and dry with a soft cloth. I learned this trick from Kate Richbourg of Beaducation: For brass and copper pieces, use hot vinegar mixed with a few tablespoons of salt; let soak, then rinse and dry.

7. When in Doubt
If your jewelry has become really tarnished or you have concerns about any of the gemstones used in your design, take your jewelry to a professional jeweler and ask them to clean your pieces for you. What are your favorite ways to clean chain?

Now that you know how to care for your silver chains, try checking out my new book Chain Style with 50 different stylish and affordable designs. While you’re waiting for your book to arrive, try this fun and fast chain necklace by one of the book’s featured designers, Step by Step Wire Jewelry editor Denise Peck.

NEW FREE PROJECT!
Glass Whimsy
Denise Peck

This vibrant necklace was created using hollow lampworked glass beads, disk beads, silver wire, and a beautiful silver chain. The piece is bold and dynamic, yet simple to make. It's a great project for beginners. Originally published in Creative Jewelry, 2009.

Share your jewelry cleaning tips here or in the Beading Daily forums!

New Right-Angle Weave eBook: 5 Free Projects

Michelle Mach — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:33:00 GMT

One of the fascinating things about beading is that just by changing the beads you can make a project look completely different. Take the Triple Quatrefoil by Tina Koyama, one of the featured projects in our latest free ebook, Right Angle Weave: Beading Daily Presents 5 Free Beadweaving Patterns. In her original version, Tina used a base of 4mm fire-polished rounds with size 10, 11, and 13 Czech charlottes for the edging and embellishment. I loved her fun, summery version, but I didn't have any beads like that in my stash and I didn't want to wait until I had time to shop. ...(read more)

5 Ways to Stretch Your Beading Budget

Michelle Mach — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:40:00 GMT

Beading and saving money are two topics near and dear to my heart. My Celestial Sparkle necklace was inspired when I could only afford a single strand of borosilicate beads. I wanted to showcase them in a necklace, but everyone who saw the tiny strand said I should just give up and make a bracelet. Luckily, I didn't listen! I found some relatively inexpensive clear teardrops to space out my more expensive treasures and ended up creating one of my favorite necklaces....(read more)