Jewelry Making

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Crystal Pendant


I designed this crystal pendant by accident. Though I was trying to follow directs I found in an old Lapidary Journal, my pendant came out completely different because I was an inexperienced seed beader at the time. What I ended up with, however, is now a design that I consider to be one of my signature items since it combines beads and stones. Luckily, I was able to figure out what I did and have been able to duplicate the process.

You’ll need:

Your choice size 11 seed beads (a few grams is plenty)
bugle beads about ½ inch long
quartz crystal (one side should be pointed)
choice of adornments such as hematite heart or star beads, Czech crystals, tear drops, etc.
silamide thread (or nymo)
size 12 needle
scissors
1. Start by using the bugle beads to make a ladder. The finished ladder should be able to fit around your crystal.


2. Once the ladder fits around your crystal, connect the ends of the ladder to make a circle. Slip your crystal into this circle. It should fit snug but not too tight.

3. Now start working in brick stitch around the crystal.

4. When you have worked around the crystal one time, you connect the beads by bringing your needle down through the next beads (1st bead your started with) and then back up through the last bead.

5. Continue doing brick stitch around the crystal and connecting each time your finish going around.


NOTE:
Now the procedure for making this making this pendant varies a little since all crystals aren't exactly the same size. You basically have to continue doing step 5 to cover the bottom part of the crystal. However, once you get near the end of the crystal, you’ll need to make the circle of beads smaller. I did this simply by skipping a bead or two while doing brick. For most of my crystals, I just had to skip one bead per row, but this will depend on the size of your crystal and if it tends to taper at the bottom (which some do).

6. Once you get near the end of your crystal, skip one or two beads in each row of the brick stitch as explained in the note above. The rows should get smaller and smaller.

7. Eventually, your rows should get tiny and consist of only a few beads at the very bottom of the crystal. Go through the last circle at the bottom a few times to reinforce the bottom.

8. Now bring your needle out through a bead at the bottom of the crystal.

9. Add your choice of beads (such as a few seed beads, bugle bead, and maybe a crystal at the bottom), add one seed beads, and go back up through your beads skipping the last seed bead. This makes one piece of fringe.


10. Weave your thread back up through your pouch so you are coming out of the top of a bugle bead. At this point, you may need to get more thread. If so, find a spot in your pendant to tie an indiscreet knot, weave in the rest of the thread a little more, and then clip off.

11. Continue by brick stitching around the top part of your ladder thus making a finishing row at the top.


12. Now it’s time to add a loop and some extra fringe (if you want). With fresh thread, weave back into your pouch so that your thread is coming out from the top of one of the bugle beads.

13. Thread on about 10 beads and pass your needle back up through these beads to form a loop.


14. Go through all your beads again to reinforce the loop.

15. Tie a knot at the end of the loop.

16. Thread the needle down through the closest ssed bead on the row done in step 11.

17. It’s up to you how many (if any) pieces of fringe you’d like to add to the side of your pendant. At least one is nice. To do this, just as with the piece on the bottom, add your choice of beads plus one seed bead.


18. Go back up through the beads, but skip the last seed bead.

19. Continue back up the bugle bead you went through in step 15.

20. To add more side fringe, repeat steps 15-18. Otherwise, go onto step 19.

21. At this point, thread should be coming out of the top of a bugle bead. Slip on one seed bead.

22. Finish by weaving in your thread.


This pouch looks nice on a gold or silver chain, or you an make a simple bead necklace for your crystal pendant. These also look great using rose quartz or amethyst crystals.

All graphics created by Tammy Powley.

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