Design This - Custom Beaded Necklace to Complement Inlaid Gemstone Pendant

Earlier this year I made time for a project for myself that has been a few years in the making. A while back I purchased a silver pendant with inlaid gemstones at a trade show. The most prominent inlay was a beautiful piece of charoite. The pendant also showcased opal and shell. I have been collecting strands of beads since then to make a beaded necklace that would incorporate the pendant. Early on I identified some oblong quartz beads that would work well to secure the pendant in the design. While I had some amethyst beads, I did not have any charoite and set out to find some as I thought their character would work better with the charoite in the pendant than the amethyst I had on hand. While obtaining some charoite strands, I also increased my stash of amethyst beads.

When I finally carved out some time for this project of mine, I gathered up all of the beads that I thought I might work into the design. The strands of beads pictured here are just the ones that made the cut. What turned out to be pretty funny was that none of the charoite beads that I picked up found their way into the design but quite a bit of amethyst did. I am glad I waited to create this necklace. The large faceted amethyst beads I included were a recent acquisition and I also had a better variety of the smaller amethyst beads with color variations that made them a good pairing with the inlaid charoite, better than what I had when I bought the pendant. In addition to amethyst and quartz that I have already mentioned, I also incorporated beads of rose quartz, faceted crystal and a couple of shades of naturally colored pearls in to the necklace design. I finished it off with sterling silver findings to match the metal of the pendant.

Whether designing around a newly obtained component or updating vintage jewelry, I enjoy making custom pieces of jewelry that will be cherished accessories for the wearer. I know I will enjoy my new necklace for a very long time. Contact me if you have a project in mind.

Earth Mother Gifts

Mother's Day is less than a month away. If you will be buying something and having it shipped, I strongly suggest that you order it at least a week before you need it to arrive. USPS has been rather slow since the first of the year and destinations that previously would receive their items by first class mail in 2-3 days have been taking a week on average. (USPS is closing and consolidating sort centers and has created a real slow down in mail service. Even priority mail has been slowed down from its norm. Enough of my rant, you have been warned, whether you are purchasing from me or somewhere else.)

If you would describe you mom as an earth mother, then she is likely to appreciate a gift of jewelry made with gemstones born of the earth. One such gemstone is quartz. When you think of quartz, the first thing that pops into mind is probably a clear crystal point. That is a very popular form, however there are other gemstones that would have also been clear quartz (SiO₂) if not for mineral impurities and inclusions.

I have several earring and necklace options available that are made with several gemstones in the quartz family. You can see jewelry in the image below that, as I am writing this, is available and ready to ship. I have many other quartz components available for custom creations too. Gemstones seen in the photo that might not come to mind right away when processing the word quartz are amethyst, citrine, tourmalinated quartz and rose quartz. Some of these creations are currently listed in my EDCCollective Etsy shop. If you are interested in any that are not currently listed or in a custom order, please contact me about availability.

(Click on the image to enlarge it.)