Endless Summer Necklace

Designed by Albina Manning ©2010

Almost everybody loves the summer months. We girls get to wear more dresses, and visit the beach. These activities always make me want to wear shells and pearls. The choker I designed combines both, with a little sparkle. Although it appears to be a "dressy" piece, this choker looks great with jeans, too!

Skill Level: Intermediate

Technique: Round wire, Component jewelry, Memory wire

Materials

• 22-gauge round dead soft jewelry wire, 2 feet (120cm) for each twig (sample uses 5 twigs, approx. 10 feet)
• 1.5 loops of necklace memory wire
• One mother of pearl flower bead
• Five 6mm Swarovski® bi-cone crystal beads
• Six 7mm freshwater pearl beads
• Eight 5mm pearl beads
• One strand 5-6mm freshwater pearl beads
• One 2" head pin

Note: The amount of pearls and crystals is approximate, because this is just an idea of how to make this type of choker. Feel free to change the amounts according to your personal design.

Tools

• Flat Nose Pliers
• Chain Nose Pliers
• Wire Cutters and Memory Wire Cutters (especially for steel - protect your good cutters!)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Paper

Instructions

1. Plan your design on paper. Trace around the mother of pearl flower you will be using and add as many "twigs" embellished with pearls and crystals as you would like to be the focal point of your choker.
   
   
2. To make the first twig: Cut 2 feet of the 22-gauge round wire and slide the following pearl-and-crystal bead group on one end of the wire: one 5mm pearl, one 6mm bi-cone, one 5mm pearl.
   
   
3. Lay the beaded wire on your sketch, placing the beads at the end of one twig. Measure the distance between this first bead group and the flower's center and add 1" (2.5cm). We will call this measurement your "X-length" (red arrow). This wire section is now called the "tail."
   
   
4. Slide the beads down the wire, leaving an X-length tail at the end. Turn the bead group into a loop, and twist the wire together immediately after the loop. Continue twisting the wire ends together until the twisted part is X-length long.
   
   
   
5. Place this half of the twig on your sketch. Plan, formulate, and then create the opposite end of this first twig, working in the same manner as when making the first half.
   
   
   
6. When you have finished the first complete twig and run out of wire, trim the wire ends so they are about 1/2" long (12mm) and twist their ends together.
   
   
   
   
7. Continue creating as many twigs as your design calls for. Hint: You can create single-pearl twigs in the same manner as above, but use just one pearl instead of a pearl and crystal beads.
   Group the twigs into sets of two or three, and twist each set together.
   
   
   
8. Slide one 6mm Swarovski crystal and the mother of pearl flower onto the 2" headpin as shown. Leaving a 3/8" (1cm) tail, trim the headpin. Using round nose pliers on the end of the headpin, make a loop.



9. Open the loop from step 8 and insert the twisted twig sets as shown.
   
   
10. Now slide the memory wire into the loop, and close it firmly.
    
    
11. Thread as many 5mm round pearls on both ends of the memory wire as you desire, all the way under the focal flower. If you want a symmetrical design, place the same amount of pearls on each side of the center. If you would like an asymmetrical look, use more pearls on one side than the other.
    
    
12. Try the choker on, to check for the length you wish. Trim both ends of the choker to 3/8" (1cm) longer than the desired finished size. Use round nose pliers to make a closed loop at each end, locking everything into place.
    
    
13. Arrange the pearl and crystal twigs around the mother of pearl flower. Enjoy!
    

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