Red Drop Necklace

Create a beautiful piece of jewelry to wear out. This is great for Valentine's day or any day of the year. This necklace is great for the beginner jeweler.

Materials:

• Cousin Crystazzi:
  • 8mm Dark Siam Faceted Round Beads, 9 pc (#3670217)
• Cousin Gold Elegance:
• 3mm Round Beads, 18 pc (#2949715)
• Eye Pins, 4 pc (#2949772)
• Head Pins, 5 pc (#2949737)
• 18” Link Chain #2, 1 pkg (#2949719)
• Round Toggle, 1 set (#2949703)
• Open Jump Rings, 7 pc (#2949709)
• Needle Nose Pliers
• Round Nose Pliers
• Wire Cutter

Steps:

1. First create the bead links. Thread a gold bead, a crystal and a gold bead onto an eye pin and finish with a simple top loop. Create a top loop by trimming the pin approximately ¼” beyond the top bead. Using your round nose pliers, bend the wire to form a right angle. Use the end of your pliers to grasp the end of the wire and going against the bend you just made, curve the wire using a twist of your wrist to roll the wire over a single prong (think of the twisting motion you use with a screwdriver). You may have to release the wire and continue the rolling motion a little further down the wire to complete the circle. Don’t worry if the circle doesn’t look perfect, the shape can be finessed a little using your pliers to make minor corrections. Make 4 links.
    
2. Next create the bead drops. Thread a gold bead, a crystal and a gold bead onto a head pin and finish with a simple top loop. Make 5 bead drops.
    
3. Assemble the links and drops to form the graduated fall. (See photo for reference.) The center longest dangle is composed of 2 links together with a drop at the end. Use a jump ring to attach this to the center link of the 18” chain.
   
   
    
4. Always be sure to open rings by using a sideways motion to pull the ends apart. (Think of a paper clip, where the end can be opened, but the shape is not distorted so it is able to go back to the same shape.)
    
5. The side dangles are composed of a bead link with a bead dangle attached at the bottom. There is one of this size dangle on both sides of the center dangle. Go 12 links out from the center dangle to attach these side dangles.
    
6. The last side dangles are just a drop alone. Go 10 links out from the last dangles and use a jump ring to place these on both sides of the necklace.
    
7. Use a jump ring to attach each half of the toggle to the ends of the chain.

Copyright 2010 Cousin Corporation of America