The Beading Gem

Aren't soutache jewelry designs just amazing? If you are keen to try, making soutache earrings is a good project to start with.  Even half of a pair will yield a pendant!

Soutache (pronounced - so͞o-tăsh′) is a narrow flat decorative braid. It's been used for trimming clothing and particularly military uniforms for centuries.  But it wasn't used in jewelry until an innovative designer, Dori Csengeri experimented with it in the 1980's. The rest, as they say, is history. The elegant style definitely shouts "statement"!

It still astounds me to know soutache (pronounced as "su-tash") jewelry was pioneered as long ago as the 1980's by Dori Csengeri (see my past post) and yet it's only in the last few years that this technique has really become popular.  The internet surely had something to do with it!

Many readers were bowled over when I first wrote about soutache jewelry about 2 years ago. Since then, I have come across many soutache jewelry designers. Ever wonder who was the original designer to come up with the innovative technique which so many now emulate?

I've covered soutache jewelry before.  I suggest you try making earrings if you want to get into this technique.  This easy video tutorial by Troom Troom should give you a good taste of soutache jewelry making.  Those of you who love bead embroidery will love doing this.

The soutache jewelry making technique was developed by Dori Csengeri way back in 1987.   Since then many talented jewelry designers have mastered it and created some distinctive work of their own.  One such artisan is Polish designer, Joanna, of GiSoutacheJewelry  (link no longer works).

Soutache jewelry was the brainchild of Dori Csengeri who developed a novel way of using what was once used in military uniforms into beautiful jewelry back in the 1980's.

Since those early days, other designers have used the technique to create their own takes on soutache jewelry. Ukrainian Victoria of SoutacheMagic (no longer available)  often designs hers together with Japanese shibori ribbon. A West meets East collaboration!

No one would ever dispute the tremendous contributions Russian designers have made to the beading scene. The Russian spiral and St Petersburg stitches are but two examples of many unique techniques which originally came from that part of the world. These though barely hint on the tremendous talent there.

So feast your eyes on the drop dead gorgeous statement beaded jewelry of 3 Russian designers - Olga Orlova, Lully Snetkova and Kaya Solovieva who together with Tina Galagan form Perlina Rosa. 

Sometime ago, I featured some awesome Russian soutache jewelry artisans which wowed many of us.  So if you'd like to see more, the designs by Astrid Art of Poland are just superb.


She is an accomplished artisan who can make all sorts of jewelry including some lovely contemporary style metal work. You can see a lot more of her work on her blog. It's in Polish but a picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words! It is amazing to see how she uses the soutache braid, cabochons and beads in swirling designs.

Preciosa Ornela pellet beads are perhaps off putting to some beaders. Their drum-like shapes requires some creative thinking.  The best approach is to take advantage of their narrow waists. You can see some of my designs using pellet beads here and here (blue earrings).

Japanese shibori (tie dyed) ribbon is simply lovely.  The most common application in jewelry design is to use it to hang pendants from. But truly innovative designers will do something totally different. Italian designer, Simona Svezia, besides others like Sherry Serafini, uses it to create gorgeous shibori ribbon beaded jewelry for her Etsy store, Perline e Bijoux.

I was quite surprised how many of you liked soutache jewelry as featured in last week's book review. It is an elegant but formal style. But clearly many of you want to learn and a handful of you actually have the supplies on hand but haven't started! Holly said, "Soutache has been on my "to-do" list for a while now. I have the supplies to make a small project & this book looks like just the inspiration & push I need to actually give it a try."

Wire wrapper and beadwork alert!  Those of you who like wire wrapping gemstones or incorporating them into bead embroidery, beaded and soutache jewelry might like to know about KGNSHOP.  This is a wholesaler of labradorite and other gemstones based in the lovely city of Jaipur, India.

Jaipur is a major hub for the arts and crafts and is famed for gemstone cutting.  KGNSHOP's gemstones are hand polished. They also offer free drilling services.

If you like to learn how to do micro macrame with beads, here are 10 ways to do so.  Russian beader, Julia  Zheglov, kindly shared her ideas.  Shown below are two of my favorites.

Perri Jackson of Shaktipaj Designs has been making handmade things since she was a little girl starting with fine needlework.  Her mother encouraged her to reach for high quality work where the back looks just as good as the front.  These days she says, "When I'm not spouting spiritual philosophy, I take my glasses off and bend really small wire into pleasing shapes for long periods of time." 

  

Angie Mézes is a Hungarian bead artist who is makes a living from her passion for beadwork. A hobby and a livelihood all rolled into one!

With a name like Goody Beads, you know you are in for a treat when you visit this jewelry making supplier! This Minnesota based company has a wide range of products for sale.  If you take a tour, you'll find they do also carry some less common materials like soutache braids and accessories for making stunning Russian designs, bead pens and beads and even scarves to bead!

One jawdroppingly good master beader is Ann Braginsky or more accurately in Russian, Anna Braginskaya. She says beads are, "The language of art, which I chose (or it chose me)".  She is indeed an extraordinary bead artist. Her award winning designs include the downright gorgeous Petrel necklace a vision of beautifully rendered graduated feathers.

Two hole Czech beads are simply one of the best types of beads to have around.  The crescent bead ones can be a bit challenging to use. But Kristen Steven's pretty crescent bead flower bracelet tutorial over on  Art Jewelry Elements  makes use of the shape in a clever way!