Revitalising Jewelry Part 2 of 3

My friends Cindy and Millie were checking out the jewelry section in our local Michaels store when Frances approached them for help. Frances is not a beader and the lack of knowledge plus the bewildering choices meant she did not know how to proceed with a necklace makeover. Cindy recommended she attend our next workshop (thanks, Cindy!) which she did.

Frances said she was so looking forward to the workshop because for the first time in twenty years, there was a chance she could finally wear a treasured necklace. She had carefully kept a choker necklace, a braided loop and button affair decorated with lovely leaf shaped mother of pearl (MOP) beads. It was an inheritance from a person she really cared about.

Unfortunately, chokers were so not her style. It also looked outdated. She preferred a simple princess length necklace. She said so long as she could reuse those leaves AND be able to wear the necklace, it will still remind her of the giver. So she set about removing the stitches which held MOP and seed beads to the braid (see the leftover braid, above right). The seed beads had to be discarded for they were worn.

The MOP leaves were double-holed and Frances had to use Fireline (crystal) to weave in and out of the leaves using a single large copper-lined seed bead in the front of each leaf. She also added plenty of creamy coloured freshwater pearls in between the leaves and towards the clasp. The result was a modern, fluid and informal necklace which thrilled Frances who now cannot wait to wear them when she goes on vacation.

Beader Design #: 303
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The Beading Gem's Journal