Wedding jewelry - First Draft In Progress
9:46 AM Posted In beads , Custom jewelry , family , filigree , tutorials Edit This 4 Comments »![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTobk9QbNX9YdBkAPt5oyyz0NKhuD9E6JfeRGlxLaJUTiQcAlsmyzYW0IG_UZQVlL6e2moOAVplH5rb-bag1WfYk2sSe4wsICrDBtdjQQmm8w2PS8QfCRIXoaaCWlhz0k3n9lEFlPAtFA/s320/Lauren's+neclkace+8.jpg)
I started with this photo of a design by Jamie Hogsett that Lauren liked from the August/September 2007 Beadwork magazine. The design is featured from the Create Jewelry Series, Pearls edition by Marlene Blessing & Jamie Hogsett from Interweave Press, prublished 2007.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdDM3BL-iNTvH1XeJvmbtgRwANzG6EHNwAfYppTykYg8JZ-4C13Ce4BCno2lxBcmeUCjM7u_w-2vKYOJDbscFI86Na3GepMxuhd6VfNvuPKK0sx29nlbV-CK1GtDetdsVTiUiACu6Ltg/s320/inspiration+photo.jpg)
But Lauren did not like the star shaped flower detail - she found it a bit too gaudy. She did like the pearls and the asymmetry. She also liked several styles with chain or wire linked pearls. No sparklies, though. She was clear about that.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cGiRgoWMiy9O5gK4C8FfxX6_fSTfS6lJbyQ3X6TXbdrdg4yLlsQ7rCR55L9ae8OBc9KVNVsrQvLwQN-49Y5eZjrN_aLzdLyjdCJ7Og1NoPkKdXHRZcmpVIo5wr5U0AU4QlPu_YtwD-A/s320/Lauren's+neclkace+4.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUMZ9rrHOibdIaEpcbcj87BLGzB856owMthQLEWLoeWVnMEkHtb69FkIMpU_Tvwcd7h255rJ8GvAY_mjM0ZI1gkK10o1FWMDp-0aacmIUJnHO8jDWEXa9x-vR-ff9kcNtyT71FzVewKDg/s320/Lauren's+neclkace+7.jpg)
I love Silkon thread. It is very strong and supple when strung with beads but is stiff enough to thread through pearls without having to use a needle! This is a huge benefit! It allows me to use a nice, sturdy thread since I only have to fit the thickness of the thread through the pearls once - not a doubled thickness plus a needle. Some jewelry artists coat the end of their thread with superglue to make it stiff but I find this to be a sticky, dangerous, frustrating practice.
These strands are lovey but the paler strand needs to be made longer so that it will drape lower than the darker copper strand when being worn.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqyZ6o7sxrizmbJJruPxhg3kT3lnvc-PWvU_RmcZTZBnJZjimIBm-TGKFJGkNyVdNlDHwUQEPlrmTNCFVxRbx0Mxwz0ksUt0T_4M9O4q_RpNWI-yAzXRy4RT5X2ae8F8aEdBwVz9VX7U/s320/Lauren's+neclkace.jpg)
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Since Lauren liked the asymmetrical look of the Beadwork design but didn't like the accent flower, I decided to use a simpler brass finding as the accent with a single central pearl instead of several bunches of pearls.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr-YXSUDZRre6fPDJfXeVNwr4WjOdSnQ6HSi2PaU0qHg4xoNGaQl7pMqa8Emd9tVVKkuAE38FG1cUxKxV1z4xRkiZavl0QG2k3rD0De6GOTKYJ6qIrURUwic1qdudXUoTVyDdNOHZRJY/s320/Lauren's+neclkace+2.jpg)
I used a lage button pearl and created a ball end headpin by melting one end of a brass wire with my torch. This discolors the brass but since Lauren wants a vintage look and only the tiny ball was going to show, I did not worry about that. I burnised the flamewrked ball with my brass brush and now it has a nice, shiny antique patina.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDsHOMXrKAKXKf6qdLbHzyGByV1sfCfMv7ZVz638UWWMX2bE-jA4jMYKZ_NPE-WzLOEJVZX3lYlc7pf2h0dQ5GZIzuFGFXphFjEAhR-ueh-cURQtn0fDMXddu2Nd8MCjHlBUi1DBHH1s/s320/Lauren's+neclkace+10.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKoQXfQKTv6o3L_0Kfcoixi_zmz0l-Y0jQkHT_ovrknPKbVl78gB6XZmawGWxM3T4PTS_F0-QGuyiDt7_lViMtA955oH9vHTLYr7qeDe-GV0CyI0r5MqY2XZSKiWwlqG1eqLHvcTo_u4/s320/Lauren's+neclkace+11.jpg)
I need to get some smaller jump rings as these are too big for the finding. They look just a bit akward. Some 3x4 mm oval jumps should do the trick nicely.
Most of these supplies will soon be available in Goblins' Market. The pretty central filigree is one that I got in a recent sample pack. I like it so well that I will be ordering more today or tomorow. I had ordered a sample because I wantedto see if I could fold the filigree around a bead as a bead cap. It does not work for that, but I like the way it can be used to hold a central accent bead and then link to a larger design or as part of a strand of floral medallions. I'm eager to patina a bunch of them and make a vintage bracelet with central sparkleys !
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