When designing a necklace around a particular focal bead or pendant, how do you decide what color of beads to use? First, you may want to decide what kind of a statement you are trying to make. Choosing one color scheme over another can dramatically alter the look and feel of the piece.

You may recall that a couple of weeks ago I made a batch of polymer clay pendants, with the ultimate goal of creating a necklace for our Summer issue of Jewelry Stringing. One of my favorites from the batch is a pink floral pendant that I decided to pair with some really cool acai beads from NatureBeads and tagua nut beads from Antelope Beads.  

When I started pulling out beads that I thought would look nice with the pendant, I found that I had two distinct groups of colorways, each conveying a different feel when combined with my pendant.

Pairing the pendant with the pink and green palette, the necklace seems more playful and casual. The burgundy and brown color scheme seems to portray a more dressy and dramatic feel. I wasn't sure either of these conveyed the look I was going for.

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In the end I settled for a combination of the two colorways, which feels a little more earthy, yet has a fun, summery feel to it--like I could wear it on a vacation to the islands!

For more great tips on choosing color palettes for your focal beads, head on over to this blog by Beading Daily editor, Jennifer VanBenschoten, where she discusses pulling out specific colors from your focal bead to form a harmonious color palette. And when you sit down to design, just keep in mind what kind of statement you are trying to make!

Happy creating!

Debbie Blair

Managing Editor