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Gilded Age Butterfly

Design by Jean Yates

Inspired by New York City in the Gilded Age, this delicate necklace is reminiscent of lovely young women bedecked in their finery for the formal parties of the social season.

Materials

11 (42 x 62mm ivory enameled butterfly
4mm crystal bicone beads:

7 clear, 7 light topaz
13 black

60 (5.5-6mm) top-drilled white button freshwater pearls
13 (2.5 x 4mm) silver Turkish spacer beads
Sterling silver jump rings:

3 (6mm), 2 (4mm)

27 (22-gauge) sterling silver head pins
4 sterling silver crimp tubes
20 x 11mm sterling silver decorative loop hook clasp
2 inches 6.3mm sterling silver open cable extender chain
2 (3 1/2-inch) lengths sterling silver figure-eight jewelry chain
2 (11-inch) lengths .019-inch-diameter flexible beading wire
Bead board (optional)
Round-nose pliers
Chain-nose pliers
Wire nippers

Finished Size
16 1/2 inches (including clasp), plus a 2-inch extender chain

Project note: Use a bead board to lay out beads if desired.

Instructions
1)	String a crimp tube onto one length of wire 1/2 inch from one end. Place short wire end through one loop on butterfly bead and back through the crimp tube. Use chain-nose pliers to flatten the crimp tube.
2)	String on a Turkish spacer and 15 button pearls, alternating the orientation of the pearls. String on the end link of one 3 1/2-inch length of figure-eight chain. String on 15 button pearls and a Turkish spacer.
3)	String on a crimp tube; place wire end through clasp and back through the crimp tube and Turkish spacer. Flatten the crimp tube; trim excess wire. Note: Before crimping, make sure clasp is positioned so the hook is facing upward.
4)	Repeat steps 1-3 for other half of necklace, attaching a 2-inch extender chain instead of clasp.
5)	To finish chain swags, open a 4mm jump ring and attach it to opposite end link on one of the attached chains. Attach jump ring to the loop at end of butterfly bead. Repeat to attach the chain swag on other side of necklace.
6)	Slide a black bicone bead onto a head pin; use round-nose pliers to begin to form a wrapped head-pin loop above bead, but do not wrap loop yet. Repeat four additional times.
7)	Repeat step 6 four times, twice with clear bicone beads and twice with light topaz bicone beads.
8)	Beginning with a black bicone head pin, proceed to wrap loop, attaching loop to a large link on one of the chain swags before wrapping. Trim excess wire. Attach remaining beaded head pins from steps 6 and 7 to chain swag in the same manner, spacing them evenly and attaching them to the large links.
9)	Repeat steps 6-8 to attach head pins to the other chain swag.
10)	Slide a Turkish spacer and a clear bicone bead on a head pin; form a wrapped head-pin loop above bead. Trim excess wire. Repeat twice.
11)	Repeat step 10 three times, only substitute a black bicone bead in place of a clear bicone bead. Repeat step 10 three times again, only substitute a light topaz bicone bead in place of a clear bicone bead.
12)	Open a 6mm jump ring and slide on three beaded head pins, one of each color; attach jump ring to one of the loops on butterfly bead. Repeat twice, attaching one jump ring to the opposite loop on butterfly bead and attaching other jump ring to the end link on extender chain.

Sources: Button pearls and Turkish beads from The Bead Shop; bicone beads, open cable chain, clasp and butterfly bead from Fusion Beads; figure-eight chain, crimp tubes, jump rings, head pins and flexible beading wire from Via Murano.