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Copper Canyon
Design by Margot Potter
This elegant, earthy design was inspired by one-of-a-kind pieces in a Santa Fe jewelry gallery. The designer version costs $150, but you can make your own for under $25, using inexpensive gemstones and mass-produced copper beads and charms. The mossy green shades combine to create a timeless, upscale look.
Our cost for necklace: Approximately $12.
Materials
- Approximately 41 (5mm x 6mm) khaki green rice freshwater pearls
- Approximately 34 (4mm x 6mm) bronze rice freshwater pearls
- 1 (15mm x 20mm) pietersite rectangle bead
- 18 (8mm x 12mm) African green jasper rectangle beads
- 28 (4mm x 10mm) grossular garnet rondelle beads
- 9 copper flat grape with leaf charms
- 4 gold-plated crimp tubes
- 12 (2-inch-long) copper head pins
- 1 (2-inch-long) copper eye pin
- Copper floral toggle clasp
- 2 (18-inch) lengths .013-inch-diameter 49-strand nylon-coated flexible beading wire
- Multichannel bead board (optional)
- Electric bead reamer
- Round-nose pliers
- Chain-nose pliers
- Crimp pliers
- Flush cutters
Finished Size
15 1/4 inches (including clasp)
Project notes: : If desired, lay out beads and pearls in a multichannel bead board before stringing to ensure that the inner strand will nestle inside outer strand.
| Instructions |
| 1) |
Use the bead reamer to widen the holes in 12 khaki rice pearls so they will accommodate the copper head pins. |
| 2) |
Slide each reamed khaki rice pearl onto a separate head pin; using round-nose pliers, form
wrapped head pin loops above each pearl. Trim excess wires. Do not throw away trimmed pieces of
copper head pins. |
| 3) |
Slide pietersite rectangle onto an eye pin; form a wrapped loop above rectangle. Trim excess wire. |
| 4) |
Using scrap pieces from trimmed head pins and round-nose pliers, form seven handmade jump rings, setting three aside for use later. Open one jump ring and slide it onto bottom loop of pietersite eye pin; slide another handmade jump ring and a khaki rice head pin on first jump ring before closing ring. Open second ring and slide on a khaki rice head pin; close ring. Attach two additional handmade jump rings in same manner. Open last jump ring and slide on a copper charm; close jump ring. |
| 5) |
Open one of the remaining three handmade jump rings and slide on bar end of clasp and another jump ring; close jump ring. In same manner, attach last jump ring to second jump ring. |
| 6) |
String a crimp tube 1/2 inch from wire end on an 18-inch length of beading wire; place wire end through one half of clasp and back through crimp tube. Crimp the crimp tube. |
| 7) |
Beginning and ending with a khaki rice pearl, string 29 khaki rice pearls and 28 rondelles, alternating between the two. This strand should measure approximately 14 inches. String on a crimp tube and place wire end through remaining half of clasp and back through crimp tube. Crimp the crimp tube. Trim excess wire. |
| 8) |
Repeat step 6, attaching second 18-inch length to clasp on the outside of the first strand. |
| 9) |
String the following onto wire: African green rectangle, bronze pearl, khaki pearl head pin, bronze pearl, African green rectangle, bronze pearl, copper charm and bronze pearl. Repeat three times. String an African green rectangle and a bronze pearl. String on beaded pietersite rectangle eye pin. |
| 10) |
Repeat beading sequence in step 9, only in reverse. |
| 11) |
String on a crimp tube; place wire end through remaining half of clasp and back through crimp tube. Crimp the crimp tube. Trim excess wire. |
Sources: Green jasper rectangles from Thunderbird Supply Co.; Pietersite rectangle and copper head pins from Great Craft Works; rondelles and pearls from JS Beads; clasp and copper charms from Blue Moon Beads; beading wire and findings from Beadalon.
Copyright © Oct. 2005 Simply Beads magazine. All rights reserved. |
