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The timeless look of turquoise and brown is updated with hand-painted silk string, sterling silver chain and Hill Tribe silver accents. This fashion forward necklace is a modern classic.
Step one: You will begin by creating the turquoise chip strand. Cut a length of jewelry wire to approximately 22 inches. Begin stringing at the center of the design with a rose and leaf Hill Tribe silver pendant. You will then string turquoise chips and 8mm red poppy jasper stones in random segments until the strand is approximately 19 to 20 inches long. Use a Bead Stopper to hold the ends of the wire secure while you prepare the rest of the necklace.
Step two: Prepare the chain and silk strands. Cut a length of the sterling silver oval and round handmade chain to approximately 27-inches and one strand of each the turquoise and dark brown silk string to approximately 31 inches. Weave the strings loosely and randomly through links in the chain. Our designer used links 3 to 6-inches apart.
Step three: Make the eye pin to attach the strands to before you add the cone. Cut two 3-inch pieces of sterling silver 18 gauge wire and make a simple loop in one end of each approximately 5mm in diameter. Use the thickest end of your round nose pliers to make the loop big enough for all the materials to pass through. These loops will need to fit inside the stamped cone. Because the cones are handmade they will vary a bit in size, make sure to test your wire loop to see that it fits inside the cones by threading the straight end through the cone from the inside out.
Step four: Attach the strands on the eye pin. On one of the wire loops, crimp one end of the turquoise chip strand using a 2x2mm crimp tube. For detailed instructions on how to use a crimp tube, please see the Handy Tips section of the Learning Center. Open the loop slightly and add the chain. Close the loop again and tie the silk strings in a tight knot to the wire loop. Test to make sure it all fits within the cone. If everything fits well, use GS Hypo cement to glue your knots securely. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. When the glue is thoroughly dry, trim the ends so that the silk ends will not show below the rim of the cone.
Step five: Repeat this process on the other side, but tie your silk string loosely and measure by holding the piece around your neck. At this point you can still alter the length of the silk and chain. Once it is the length you want it, glue and trim as you did with the first side. Wait 10 minutes for the glue to dry.
Step six: String one side of the wire through one of the cones. Using the wrapped loop technique, attach the wire to one of the jump rings on the S clasp. For detailed instructions on how to make a wrapped loop, please visit the Handy Tips section of the Learning Center. Repeat on the other side. Voila! You have a gorgeous, contemporary jewelry design that will be the envy of your friends!
Approximate size: 29 inches (longest strand) Tip: You will not use all of your stones, chain or silk. String a quick matching bracelet with the leftover lengths to add to the value of this design!
Tools Used: Bead Stopper (BEADSTPR) Nipper Tool (TOOL-101) Round nose pliers (TOOL-108) Chain nose pliers (TOOL-106) Side cutters - semi flush (TOOL-131)
List of Components: 42-inch hand-dyed silk string turquoise (SILK-TURQ, qty 1) 42-inch hand-dyed silk string dark brown (SILK-DKBRN, qty 1) Sterling silver oval and round handmade chain (925CH50, qty 3ft) 10x19mm stamped Hill Tribe silver cone (HTS180, qty 2) Rose and leaf Hill Tribe silver pendant (HTS117, qty 1) Round 8mm red poppy jasper (R-POPJASP8, qty 1 strand) Turquoise chip nuggets (R-TURQCHIP02, qty 1 strand) 32mm single S clasp (BCL0035, qty 2) 2x2mm sterling silver crimp tubes (SS-CRM2, qty 2) Sterling silver round wire 18 gauge half-hard (SSWR18HH1, qty 6 inches) GS-Hypo cement (GS-HYPO) Soft Touch .019 medium (ST19-30CL)
